The First Bishop of the Diocese of La Spezia, Monsignor Giovanni Costantini was the younger brother of Cardinal Celso Luigi Benigno Costantini (1876 - 1958), the First Apostolic Delegate in China, who later became Chancellor of the Apostolic Chancery and Cardinal Priest of the Title of San Lorenzo in Damaso.
Born in Castions di Zoppola, Province of Pordenone, Italy, on August 4, 1880, he frequented local elementary schools between 1886 and 1891, repeating voluntarily the third class after being considered too young to join his father's construction company. Deciding to become a priest, he entered Seminary in Portogruaro and successively pursued his studies in Rome at the Collegio di Sant'Apollinare, where among his companions was a young Angelo Roncalli, who would later become Pope John XXIII. Earning a degree in theology, he was ordained to the priesthood on March 18, 1905. Successively, Pope Pius X sent him to Venice, where he stayed until 1927, serving among others as professor of Sacred Scripture, Patristics, Christian Archaeology, Christian Arts and History of Arts. He furthermore served as librarian of the seminary library and secretary to Cardinal Pietro La Fontaine between 1915 and 1918.
Editor of the "Arte Cristiana" review founded by his brother Monsignor Celso, he founded the Istituto San Filippo Neri for "the children of war", which had transferred to his native Castions in 1923.
At 48 years of age, Costantini was appointed the First Bishop of the Diocese of La Spezia by Pope Pius XI on February 8, 1929. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 5 from Cardinal La Fontaine.
Pope Pius XII appointed him president of the Pontificia Commissione Centrale per l'Arte Sacra in Italia and promoted him to the Titular Archbishopric See of Colossae on July 26, 1943.
Archbishop Costantini died in Rome on May 18, 1956, and was originally buried in the cemetery of his native Castions di Zoppola, where his brother Cardinal was also interred two years later. On May 13, 1959, his remains were transferred to the cathedral of La Spezia, and re-interred in the crypt of the then newly constrcuted cathedral of Christ the King, which was constructed in his memory as the founding bishop of the diocese.
Born in Castions di Zoppola, Province of Pordenone, Italy, on August 4, 1880, he frequented local elementary schools between 1886 and 1891, repeating voluntarily the third class after being considered too young to join his father's construction company. Deciding to become a priest, he entered Seminary in Portogruaro and successively pursued his studies in Rome at the Collegio di Sant'Apollinare, where among his companions was a young Angelo Roncalli, who would later become Pope John XXIII. Earning a degree in theology, he was ordained to the priesthood on March 18, 1905. Successively, Pope Pius X sent him to Venice, where he stayed until 1927, serving among others as professor of Sacred Scripture, Patristics, Christian Archaeology, Christian Arts and History of Arts. He furthermore served as librarian of the seminary library and secretary to Cardinal Pietro La Fontaine between 1915 and 1918.
Editor of the "Arte Cristiana" review founded by his brother Monsignor Celso, he founded the Istituto San Filippo Neri for "the children of war", which had transferred to his native Castions in 1923.
At 48 years of age, Costantini was appointed the First Bishop of the Diocese of La Spezia by Pope Pius XI on February 8, 1929. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 5 from Cardinal La Fontaine.
Pope Pius XII appointed him president of the Pontificia Commissione Centrale per l'Arte Sacra in Italia and promoted him to the Titular Archbishopric See of Colossae on July 26, 1943.
Archbishop Costantini died in Rome on May 18, 1956, and was originally buried in the cemetery of his native Castions di Zoppola, where his brother Cardinal was also interred two years later. On May 13, 1959, his remains were transferred to the cathedral of La Spezia, and re-interred in the crypt of the then newly constrcuted cathedral of Christ the King, which was constructed in his memory as the founding bishop of the diocese.
The First Bishop of the Diocese of La Spezia, Monsignor Giovanni Costantini was the younger brother of Cardinal Celso Luigi Benigno Costantini (1876 - 1958), the First Apostolic Delegate in China, who later became Chancellor of the Apostolic Chancery and Cardinal Priest of the Title of San Lorenzo in Damaso.
Born in Castions di Zoppola, Province of Pordenone, Italy, on August 4, 1880, he frequented local elementary schools between 1886 and 1891, repeating voluntarily the third class after being considered too young to join his father's construction company. Deciding to become a priest, he entered Seminary in Portogruaro and successively pursued his studies in Rome at the Collegio di Sant'Apollinare, where among his companions was a young Angelo Roncalli, who would later become Pope John XXIII. Earning a degree in theology, he was ordained to the priesthood on March 18, 1905. Successively, Pope Pius X sent him to Venice, where he stayed until 1927, serving among others as professor of Sacred Scripture, Patristics, Christian Archaeology, Christian Arts and History of Arts. He furthermore served as librarian of the seminary library and secretary to Cardinal Pietro La Fontaine between 1915 and 1918.
Editor of the "Arte Cristiana" review founded by his brother Monsignor Celso, he founded the Istituto San Filippo Neri for "the children of war", which had transferred to his native Castions in 1923.
At 48 years of age, Costantini was appointed the First Bishop of the Diocese of La Spezia by Pope Pius XI on February 8, 1929. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 5 from Cardinal La Fontaine.
Pope Pius XII appointed him president of the Pontificia Commissione Centrale per l'Arte Sacra in Italia and promoted him to the Titular Archbishopric See of Colossae on July 26, 1943.
Archbishop Costantini died in Rome on May 18, 1956, and was originally buried in the cemetery of his native Castions di Zoppola, where his brother Cardinal was also interred two years later. On May 13, 1959, his remains were transferred to the cathedral of La Spezia, and re-interred in the crypt of the then newly constrcuted cathedral of Christ the King, which was constructed in his memory as the founding bishop of the diocese.
Born in Castions di Zoppola, Province of Pordenone, Italy, on August 4, 1880, he frequented local elementary schools between 1886 and 1891, repeating voluntarily the third class after being considered too young to join his father's construction company. Deciding to become a priest, he entered Seminary in Portogruaro and successively pursued his studies in Rome at the Collegio di Sant'Apollinare, where among his companions was a young Angelo Roncalli, who would later become Pope John XXIII. Earning a degree in theology, he was ordained to the priesthood on March 18, 1905. Successively, Pope Pius X sent him to Venice, where he stayed until 1927, serving among others as professor of Sacred Scripture, Patristics, Christian Archaeology, Christian Arts and History of Arts. He furthermore served as librarian of the seminary library and secretary to Cardinal Pietro La Fontaine between 1915 and 1918.
Editor of the "Arte Cristiana" review founded by his brother Monsignor Celso, he founded the Istituto San Filippo Neri for "the children of war", which had transferred to his native Castions in 1923.
At 48 years of age, Costantini was appointed the First Bishop of the Diocese of La Spezia by Pope Pius XI on February 8, 1929. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 5 from Cardinal La Fontaine.
Pope Pius XII appointed him president of the Pontificia Commissione Centrale per l'Arte Sacra in Italia and promoted him to the Titular Archbishopric See of Colossae on July 26, 1943.
Archbishop Costantini died in Rome on May 18, 1956, and was originally buried in the cemetery of his native Castions di Zoppola, where his brother Cardinal was also interred two years later. On May 13, 1959, his remains were transferred to the cathedral of La Spezia, and re-interred in the crypt of the then newly constrcuted cathedral of Christ the King, which was constructed in his memory as the founding bishop of the diocese.
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