Angelo Capranica was born in Rome around 1415, the son of de Niccoló Pantagati da Capranica and his wife, Iacobella. He was the younger brother of Domenico Capranica, who became a cardinal in 1423 but was not recognized as such by Pope Eugene IV until much later. Angelo was elected Archbishop of Manfredonia on March 17, 1438. This may have been tied to his brother’s reconciliation with the pope. Angelo was transferred to the see of Ascoli Piceno by Pope Nicholas V on May 4, 1447, and then to the see of Rieti on September 25, 1450. Angelo also served as governor of Cesena and of Foligno. Shortly after his brother's death in August 1458, Pope Pius II named him governor of Bologna in September 1458. Domenico, shortly before his death, had founded a seminary in his palace, the Almo Collegio Capranica; the younger Capranica expanded the palace and opened it to students in 1460. In the consistory celebrated in Siena on March 5, 1460, Pope Pius II made Capranica a cardinal priest. Capranica entered Siena on March 21, 1460, receiving the red hatlater that day. On March 26, 1460, he received the titular church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, his brother's former title. In April 1460, Angelo was appointed legate a latere to Bologna. He returned to Rome on December 31, 1460. He left Rome for Bologna a second time on May 18, 1461, returning on November 17. He left for Bologna a third time on February 23, 1463, before rejoining the papal court in Siena on March 24, 1464. Angelo participated in the papal conclave of 1464 that elected Pope Paul II. The new pope renewed Capranica's appointment as legate a latere on October 1, 1464, and he left for Bologna on January 12, 1465. He returned to Rome on November 27, then on May 6, 1466 left again for Bologna, returning to Rome on January 10, 1468. On January 9, 1469, Cardinal Capricana and Cardinal Roderic Llançol i de Borja accompanied Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, from Rome to Viterbo. Angelo participated in the papal conclave of 1471 that elected Pope Sixtus IV. On November 23, 1471, the new pope named him papal legate to the Italian princes for the purposes of a new crusade against the Ottoman Turks. On December 11, 1472, Angelo became a cardinal bishop, taking the suburbicarian see of Palestrina, though retaining his titulus of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in commendam. Angelo Capranica was at times abbot in commendam of the Vallombrosan monastery of San Pancrazio in Florence and of the Vallombrosan monastery of San Basilio di Cavata in the diocese of Parma, as well as of the Benedictine monasteries of San Bartolomeo in Ferrara, Santa Sofia in Benevento and San Giovanni degli Eremiti in Palermo. Angelo became Archbishop of Fermo, his brother's former see, on April 9, 1473. He celebrated a synod there, but soon fell ill and returned to Rome on November 17, 1473, resigning the archbishopric on June 17, 1474. Capranica died in Rome on July 3, 1478. He is buried in Santa Maria sopra Minerva in the same chapel as his brother.
