FLECHIA, Giovanni. Piverone (Piemonte) 6.11.1811 — Piverone 3.7.1892. Italian Indologist. Professor in Turin. Son of Carlo F., a physician, and Teresa Mosca. As a young man worked as secretary in a noble family (of conti Balbo) in Turin and attended some courses at University, later also studies in Paris and London. Learned Sanskrit from books and taught it then at Turin University in 1853-92. In 1860-90 Professor of grammatica comparata at the same university, 1890 emeritus, Senator 1891.
Flechia wrote the first Italian Sanskrit grammar on the basis of Benfey’s Vollständige Grammatik. Also worked on Italian dialectology. Among his students were A. De Gubernatis, M. Kerbaker, A. Marazzi, P. Merlo, and D. Pezzi.
Publications: Grammatica sanscrita. 3+408 p. Turin 1856.
– Translated passages from the Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa for Turinese journals, 1848-55.
– The chapter on Indian history in F. C. Marmocchi & G. F.: L’impero anglo-indiano: descrizione geografica, storica etc. 1-2. 1311 p. Turin 1858-62.
– “Versione sanscrita dell’ episodio dantesco Francesca da Rimini”, Ricordo ai colleghi indologi del Congresso orientalistico di Berlino. 1881, 7 p.
– “Il Meghadūta. Traduzieno in versi, a cura di F. L. Pullé”, SFII 1-3, 1898-99.
Sources: *O. Botto, Scritti Storici in memoria di P. Torrione. Biella 1975, 301-316 & *Atti del Convegno per G.Fl., nel centenario della morte, 1892-1992. Alessandria 1994, 119-130; *D. Pezzi, Mem. Accad. Torino 2:2:43, 135-154; *Carlo Rolfo, Giovanni Flecchia, piveronese e canavesano illustre. Piverone [1954?] and *Professore senatore Giovanni Flechia. Profilo a 150 anni dalla nascita e nel 1º centenario dell’Unità d’Italia. Biella 1961; F. Scialpi, Newsl. Int. Assoc. Skr. St. 6, 1999, 31f. (repr. from Cimino & Scialpi, India and Italy. 1974, 140f.); Gli studi orientali in Italia 1861–1911; Italian Wikipedia with bust.
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