Roberto de Mattei was born in Rome on February 21st,1948, son of Baron Rodolfo de Mattei (1899-1981), Professor Emeritus at the University of Rome, and Michela Tarquini.

After completing his studies at the Massimiliano Massimo Secondary School, he graduated in 1972 from the University of Rome, Faculty of Political Sciences, with a degree in Contemporary History. He was a student and assistant of philosopher Augusto del Noce and historian Armando Saitta. Above all, he considers himself, a disciple of Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, with whom he had a personal friendship extending over a period of twenty years (1976-1995), and to whom he dedicated a biography.

He was the winner of a national competition that enabled him to pursue his studies at the School affiliated with the Historical Institute of Rome for the Modern and Contemporary Age between November 1978 and November 1981.  He passed the first round of examinations for the role of tenured professor, at the Associate Professor level in the scientific sector M-STO/02 of Modern History, and became the titular chair of Modern History in the Faculty of Letters at the University of Cassino (1985-2009)

Since 2005, as Associate Professor in the European University of Rome, where he is coordinator of the degree course in Historical Sciences, he has taught Modern History and the History of Christianity,.

He is President of the Lepanto Foundation, as well as Founder and Director of the Lepanto Cultural Centre (1986-2006)

He directs the magazine “Radici Cristiane” and the “Corrispondenza Romana” News Agency, and was Director of the “Nova Historica” international journal from 2002 until 2013.

Between 2003-2011 he was Vice President of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) with responsibility for the sector of Human sciences between 2002-2006, as well as serving as the International Affairs Counsel for the Italian government during the same period.

He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Historical Institute for the Modern and Contemporary Era, of the Board of Directors of the Italian Geographical Institute, and member of the Board of Guarantors of the Italian Academy at Columbia University in New York (2005-2011)

He is the author of many books, that have been translated into several languages, and earned him an international reputation.

Married to Rita di Campello since 1972 and father of 5 children.