Paolo Bertoli was born in Poggio Garfagnana of Italy. He was educated at the Seminary of Lucca and later at the Pontifical Roman Seminary in Rome where he earned doctorates in philosophy and theology. He carried on his studies at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum "S. Apollinare", where he earned a doctorate in utroque iure (in both canon and civil law).
Priest
He was ordained on 15 August 1930 in Lucca. From 1930 until 1933 he studied further. From 1933 until 1938 he served as an attaché of the nunciature in Yugoslavia. He was created Privy chamberlain of His Holiness in 1934. He was an Auditor of the nunciature in France between 1938 and 1942. He was raised to the level of Domestic prelate of His Holiness in 1946. He was the Papal representative to the International Conference to solve the problems caused by the Second World War in Bern, Switzerland, in 1946. He was Chargé d'affaires of the nunciature in Czechoslovakia for 1949 but was unable to hold the post for political reasons.
He was named Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon on 16 April 1959[1] and Apostolic Nuncio to France on 16 April 1960.[2] He attended the Second Vatican Council.