Pagnani was born on 24 June 1834 in Fabriano, Italy.
In 1857, he was ordained as a priest in the Order of St Benedict and sent as a missionary to Ceylon.
[1] Pagnani was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Colombo and titular Bishop of Hephaestus on 11 November 1879, and was consecrated Bishop of Colombo on 25 December 1879.
Accordingly, Colombo was entrusted to the Oblates mission led by Bonjean and the Sylvestrine Benedicts under Pagnani took over the newly established vicariate of Kandy where the Sylvestrines had maintained a presence since 1855.
[1][2][3][4][5] Pagnani remained in charge of the Kandy diocese for twenty-eight years until his death on 27 June 1911.