Giovanni di San Paolo

Giovanni di San Paolo was a Benedictine monk at San Paolo fuori le Muri in Rome. He was made cardinal deacon on 20 February 1193, then cardinal priest of Santa Prisca in May 1193 and finally cardinal bishop of Sabina at the end of 1204. He is often referred to as a member of the powerful Roman Colonna family, but modern scholars have established that this is based on a lie from the beginning of 16th century. More likely he was nephew of Celestine III and member of the Bobone family. He studied medicine at Amalfi.