GORRESIO, Carlo Guido Gaspare. Bagnasco (Como) 18.1.1807 — Turin 20/21.5.1891. Abate. Italian Indologist. Librarian in Turin. Son of Giovanni Battista G., a notary, and Clotilde Dealberti. According to Piovano, who has checked the book of births, the often mentioned birth date at 20.6.1808 is not correct. Educated at Bagnasco and at Seminary of Mondovi, then studies of philology at Turin (graduated 1830 under A. Peyron) and Vienna (two years 1830-32 classical philology). In 1830 also ordained priest. In 1832 teacher of history at Accademia Militare of Turin, from 1834 taught at university there. He was interested in Oriental languages and wanted to go to Paris. In 1837 this was realized by a travel grant from the Sardinian Ambassador, Marquis Sale. In Paris he learnt Sanskrit from Burnouf, with whom him he became friend. Started soon working on the Rāmāyaṇa edition. Visited London (met Wilson), and learnt Chinese under Julien. In 1852 he returned to Italy. In 1844 he had been elected in Turin Accademia delle Scienze, from 1859 its Permanent Secretary. In 1853-56 Professor of Sanskrit and IE Philology (curiously called Aryo-Pelasgic), from 1859 until his death Librarian of Reale Biblioteca Universitaria in Turin. From 1880 senator.
In his articles Gorresio dealt with IE roots, Indian chronology, Veda, etc., but his fame is founded on the complete edition (and Italian translation) of the Bengali recension (different from that partly edited by von Schlegel) of the Rāmāyaṇa, based on a careful collation of two London and four Paris manuscripts. The long introduction was learned and important, the translation rather exact, imitating the language of Dante. In his opinion the work was more ancient than the Mahābhārata. Costs of the publication were financed by the king of Sardinia.
Publications: Articles in Subalpino (“Studi sull’ India”, 1839, 292ff., on chronology), Atti dell’ Accademia delle Scienze di Torino, Rivista Orientale.
– Edited and translated into Italian: Rāmāyaṇa, poema indico di Valmiki. 1-5. Text. P. 1843-50; 6-10. Translation. P. 1847-58; 11-12. Uttarakânda. Text. 18+479 p. P. 1870, tr. 10+340 p. Torino 1869-70; “editio minor” of the tr. 1-3. Milano 1869-70.
– “Le fonti dell’ Europa e dell’ Uttarakânda”, RO 1867, 3-8; “Sull’ Uttarakânda”, AAST 4, 1868-69, 652-669 & 5, 1869-70, 920-928.
– “Unità d’origine dei popoli Indo-Europei”, AAST 2, 1866-67, 582-589.
– “De’ manoscritti sanscritti pubbliccati che si trovano nelle pubbliche e private biblioteche dell’ India”, AAST 9, 1873-74, 651-658; “Del catalogo dei manoscritti sanscritti pubbliccati nell’ India”, AAST 22, 1886-87, 280; “Sulla Biblioteca Indica”, AAST 22, 1886-87, 335.
– “I vedi”, AAST 14, 1878-79, 469-483; “I climi e le condizioni geografiche dell’ India”, AAST 15, 1881-82, 419-427; “Cenni storichi sulla progressiva conoscenza dell’ India”, AAST 18, 1882-83, 313-317; “Due punti di archeologia concernanti l’India”, AAST 23, 1887-88, 419.
Sources: O. Botto, E&W 5, 1954, 36f.; *L. Bravi, “G. G. e la sua traduzione del Ramayana”, Subalpino 67, 1969, 141-264; R.N.C[ust] briefly in JRAS 1891, 495; *C. Della Casa, “Imitatori e rivali di GG nel mondo letterarion italiano del XIX secolo”, IT 19-20, 1993-94, 93-99; *I. Guidi, Rendic. Accad. Lincei 1:4, 1892, 326f.; *F. Lasinio, Atti Accad. Crusca. Florence 1892, 28 p.; I. Piovano, G. Gorresio. 16 p. Pubblic. di “Ind. Taur.” 1. Torino 1983 (with photo and bibliography), also in Newsl. Int. Assoc. Skr. St. 6, 1999, 19-30 (incl. bibliography) and D.B.I. 58, 2002 (Treccani); *I. Pizzi, AAS 42, 1906-07, 566-572; Stache-Weiske 2017, 523; Windisch 145f.; *CRAI 35, 1891, 179-181; Wikipedia.
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