Edoardo Santini (5 November 2002) is an Italian former model and current Catholic seminarian.

Early life

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Santini dreamed of being a dancer, swimmer, or actor as a young man.[1][2] He considered the priesthood as a child.[3] He has lived in Castel Fiorentino[3] and in Tuscany.[1]

Most handsome man in Italy

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In 2019, Santini entered and won a pageant sponsored by the fashion group ABE. At 17 years old he was declared to be "Italy's Most Handsome Man."[1] The contest led to contracts as a model and 11,000 followers on Instagram.[1]

Seminarian

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In 2022, Santini went to live with two priests, which he called "the most beautiful experience of my life."[1][3] After a year, he asked Archbishop Giuseppe Betori to enter into a year-long preparatory course called the propediatrician stage with the intention of entering the seminary at its conclusion.[1]

On 23 November 2023, Santini released a video on social media announcing his decision and that he was serving two parishes in the Archdiocese of Florence.[1][2] He also said attending World Youth Day 2023 in Portugal was a turning point in his life.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Martínez-Bordiú, Almudena (7 December 2023). "Italy's 'most handsome man' leaves modeling career to become a priest". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b Pandey, Nikhil (5 December 2023). "Italy's "Most Handsome" Man Ditches Modelling Career, Becomes A Priest". NDTV. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Edoardo Santini, the most handsome in Italy enters the seminary: "I want to be a priest"". Unione Sarda. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.