Antonio Paolucci was born in Rimini in 1939 and studied history of art under Roberto Longhi. He is considered a specialist in the Italian Renaissance and he has written museum and exhibition catalogues, essays and monographic works on Piero della Francesca, Luca Signorelli, Antoniazzo Romano, Michelangelo, Filippo Lippi, Bronzino, Cellini and many others. He held the office of Director of the restoration laboratory of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Workshop of Semi-precious Stones and Laboratories of Restoration), Superintendent of the Department for the Preservation of the Historical Heritage of Venice, Verona and Mantua, Director of the Ufiizi Gallery, and for almost twenty years he was the Superintendent of the Polo Museale Fiorentino and Director General for Cultural Heritage in Tuscany. He is a Member of the Academy of the Lincei and a Member of the Superior Council for Cultural and Landscape Heritage of the Ministry for the Heritage and Cultural Activities of the Italian Republic. He taught at the University of Florence (Department of Literature and Philosophy and Institute for Art History) as well as at the University of Siena. Between 1995 and 1996 he was Italian Minister for Culture. Following the Umbria-Marche earthquake in 1997 he was appointed Special Commissioner by the Government to oversee the Restoration of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.In December 2007 he was nominated Director of the Vatican Museums by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.Among key offices held by Professor Paolucci are the posts of President of the Scientific Committee of the Equerries of the Quirinale Palace and of President of the Standing Committee for the Conservation of Historical and Artistic Monuments of the Holy See.