RIDOLFI, Niccolò. – In the world Lucantonio, Master General of the Friars Preachers, diplomat and ascetical writer, born in Florence in 1578, died in Rome on 25 May 1650. He received the Dominican habit in 1592 at Santa Maria sopra Minerva from the hands of St Philip Neri, his spiritual director. He subsequently became master of students in 1609, bachelor in the College of St Thomas in 1611, master in theology in 1614, professor of philosophy at the Sapienza, Roman provincial from 1619 to 1621, Master of the Apostolic Palaces in 1622, and finally Master General of his Order.
He fought private life in 1629, promoted religious reform and established a national novitiate for training in Paris in 1631. Because of his pro-Spanish stance, his having favoured the marriage of Princess Olimpia Aldobrandini to Paolo Borghese and his participation on behalf of Cardinal R. Ubaldini, an opponent of the Barberini, he fell into disfavour with Urban VIII, who, under generic charges, suspended him from office (brief Alias a nobis), relegated him to San Pietro in Vincoli in 1542 and subjected him to an endless trial. He was defended by Anne of Austria, Mazarin, the Duke of Orléans and Philip IV of Spain. Rehabilitated by Innocent X, he died a few days before he could probably have been re-elected General. He wrote many encyclical letters to his Order, notable among which is the one beginning Videte vocationem vestram (19 January 1631), which was printed; Breve modo di far l'orazione mentale, Rome 1642.