Born in Rome, he was ordained a priest on 27 March 1948 by Luigi Cardinal Traglia who at the time was an auxiliary bishop of Rome.
Costalunga was appointed both as an official of the Roman Curia and a titular archbishop on 10 December 1990.
His consecration as bishop by Pope John Paul II took place on 6 January 1991.
Archbishop Costalunga retired from the curial position on 25 January 2001, however, keeping the title of his titular see.
This article about a Roman Catholic archbishop from Italy is a stub.