Editing Pope Nicholas III (section)

== Personal life==
The future pope, Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, was born in [[Rome]],<ref>Richard Sternfeld, ''Der Kardinal Johann Gaëtan Orsini'', p. 1.</ref> a member of the prominent [[Orsini family]] of Italy, the eldest son of Roman nobleman [[Matteo Rosso Orsini]]<ref>Matteo Rosso Orsini was a member of the Third Order of S. Francis (Tertiary):   Richard Sternfeld, ''Der Kardinal Johann Gaëtan Orsini'', p. 2.  It was Giovanni Gaetano's father, also called Matteo Rosso Orsini ('Il Grande'), who, as Senator of Rome,  locked the Cardinals up in a sort of proto-conclave in August, 1241.&nbsp; [http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/1241_Ryccardus.html Ryccardus de S. Germano, Chronica.]</ref> by his first wife, Perna [[Caetani]].  His father was Lord of [[Vicovaro]], [[Licenza]], [[Cantalupo in Sabina|Cantalupo]], [[Roccagiovine]], [[Careiae|Galera]], [[Formello]], [[Castel Sant'Angelo di Tivoli]], [[Nettuno]], [[Civitella d'Agliano|Civitella]], [[Bomarzo]], [[San Polo]] and [[Castelfoglia]], of [[Nerola]] from 1235; Lord of [[Mugnano (Lucca)|Mugnano]], [[Sant'Angelo Romano|Santangelo]] and [[Monterotondo]]; [[Senator of Rome]] 1241–1243.  

His brother [[Giordano Orsini (died 1287)|Giordano]] was named Cardinal Deacon of [[San Eustachio]] by Nicholas III on 12 March 1278. His brother Gentile became Lord of Mugnano, Penna, Nettuno and Pitigliano.  Another brother, Matteo Rosso of Montegiordano, was Senator of Rome (probably) in 1279, War Captain of [[Todi]], and Podestà of [[Siena]] in 1281.  There were five other younger brothers and two sisters.

The Orsini family had already produced several popes: [[Pope Stephen II|Stephen II]] (752–757), [[Pope Paul I|Paul I]] (757–767) and [[Pope Celestine III|Celestine III]] (1191–1198).<ref>Williams, ''Papal Genealogy'',  p. 215.</ref>

He did not, as some scholars used to think, study at Paris—though his nephew did.<ref>Demski, p. 7.  Sternfeld, p. 3, n. 8.</ref>  His career shows no indication that he was a legal professional or a theologian. He never became a priest, until he became pope in 1277.