Italy’s «Most Handsome Man» Shares What His Life Is Like… Inside the Seminary and Away from Social Media

(ZENIT News / Rome, 04.27,.2026) – Edoardo Santini, known in Italy for having won the title of «the most handsome man in Italy» in 2019, is making headlines again, but this time far from the spotlight of the fashion world. The young Tuscan has recently shared how he is living his new stage inside the Seminary, after having decided to leave behind a promising career as a model to discern a priestly vocation that, he says, he had been feeling inside for years.

Santini achieved national notoriety when he was just 17 years old. His image began circulating in campaigns, on social media, and at modeling events. For many, his future seemed destined for photo shoots, digital fame, and opportunities in show business. However, while his career was growing externally, a much deeper unease was beginning to emerge internally.

In an interview recently published in Italian media and on digital platforms, Santini explained that his decision was neither sudden nor impulsive. On the contrary, he spoke of a process marked by «beautiful encounters,» people who helped him look sincerely at his heart and not be afraid of the essential questions about his life. He also recalled the influence of the parish he attended as a child, as well as the witness of various saints and priests who awakened in him a more serious spiritual quest. Today he keeps his distance, by his own choice, even from social media.

One of the decisive moments occurred when he lived for a time with priests during a parish experience. According to his account, that period allowed him to discover the beauty of a life dedicated to service, of daily fraternity, and of a faith lived with joy. Far from the rigid or distant image sometimes associated with the Seminary, Santini describes that environment as a space for human and spiritual growth.

Currently, the young man is officially in formation at the Seminary and collaborating pastorally in ecclesial communities. But beyond his academic or pastoral duties, what has most drawn attention in his statements is the serenity with which he speaks of the path he has undertaken. Santini affirms that one of his greatest certainties today is the inner happiness he has found.

Honestly, he also acknowledged that he was afraid before taking the final step. He was afraid of making a mistake, disappointing those close to him, or discovering later that this wasn’t his path. However, he explained that he understood something fundamental: even if his vocation took a different turn in the future, he couldn’t deny all the good he had already experienced during this process. That experience, he said, has given him a new relationship with others, a new perspective on the world, and a profound joy.

Another particularly moving episode was the dialogue with his family. Santini acknowledged that not everyone received the news with the same ease. While some family members supported him from the beginning, for his mother it was more difficult to accept her son’s radical life change. Nevertheless, he recounted that there was a key moment when he read to her the letter in which he formally requested to enter the Seminary. The reaction ended in a hug and a phrase that marked him: «I see you’re happy.» And today he affirms that his family fully supports him and is one of the pillars of his vocation.

Far from disowning his past as a model, Santini affirms that he also found valuable people and positive experiences in that environment. He even maintains that God can be found in any sphere, even in worlds frequently associated with appearance and superficiality. He doesn’t speak of a bitter break with his past, but rather of a personal story in which each stage had meaning in leading him to where he is today.

His case has sparked great interest in Italy and abroad because it breaks stereotypes. Santini chose to pause to listen to an inner calling. He stated in the interview that, if he could make a law, he would eliminate the use of social media for young people because it is common that when they ask themselves existential or profound questions in their lives, they avoid confronting them by immersing themselves in the digital world, something he claims to have experienced firsthand.

Today, from the discretion of the Seminary, although he is still in discernment, Edoardo Santini assures that he feels fulfilled.