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Antonio Giordano, called Antonio da Venafro, was born in [[1459]] in [[Venafro]]—about 50 miles North of [[Naples]]. He moved to [[Siena]] and attended the university there graduating in [[jurisprudence]]. In 1488 Venafro was elected professor of law at the [[University of Siena]]. In November 1493 Antonio was elected Appellate Judge. As such he was arrested by the avant-garde of Charles VIII and forced to follow them in their march to Rome. He was freed a few days later only by a direct order of the King himself. A trusted adviser and private secretary of the Lord of Siena, [[Pandolfo Petrucci]], he was named by the latter counselor and prime minister. In the month of October 1502 Venafro represented Pandolfo Petrucci at the Diet of La Magione; and later he went to Imola with [[Paolo Orsini]], where a peace agreement was signed between [[Cesare Borgia]] and the conspirators of La Magione represented by Paolo Orsini. Venafro was a statesman of high caliber, appreciated and respected by men such as [[Guicciardini]], [[Vettori]] and Nicollo Machiavelli. In 1515, under constant pressure by [[Pope Leo X]], Antonio left Siena and returned to his native town of Venafro. But a few years later, in 1919, Antonio moved to Naples where he became a member of the [[Consiglio Collaterale]] and professor of jurisprudence at the University of Naples. He died there in 1530.
==Mention In the Prince==
In chapter 22 of The [[Prince]], where the prince private counselors are discussed, Nicollo Machiavelli praises Antonio Venafro, seeing him as an excellent minister [[Pandolfo Petrucci]] of Siena.
[[category: Italian Renaissance]]