MONNERET DE VILLARD, Ugo. Milano 16.1.1881 — Rome 5.11.1954. Italian Archaeologist, Art Historian and Oriental Scholar, a specialist of Egypt anf Ethiopia, but with wide interests including Iran and North-West India. Son of Enrico M. de V. and Anna Foli. Studied engineering and architecture in Milano (graduated 1904), but soon concentrated on Mediaeval art and gradually also on Oriental art. Learned well Arabic and Syriac languages. In 1913-24 taught history of architecture at Milano Polytechnic, then concentrated on fieldwork. In 1937 moved to Rome.. In 1921-38 during several expeditions conducted a systematic survey of Nubia, also research in Egypt for Italian state.
Publications: Monographs and a great number of articles on Egypt, Near East, Mediaeval Art, etc.
– “Arte manichea”, Rendic. Ist. Lombardo 1923, 971-984; “The relations of manichaean Art to Iranian Art”, Survey of Persian Art 2, 1939, 1280-1828.
– Aksûm. Ricerche di topografia generale. 10+136 p. ill. Analecta Orientalia 16. Rome 1938; “Note sulle influenze asiatiche nell’ Africa Orientale”, RSO 17, 1938, 303-349; “Aksûm e il quatro Re del Mondo”, Annali Lateranensi 1948.
– “The Iranian Temple of Taxila”, Survey of Persian Art 1, 1938, 445-448; L’Arte Iranica. 194 p. ill. Milano 1954.
– “Un avorio dell’ Asia Centrale scoperto nei pressi di Roma”, Asiatica 8, 1942, 3-10; “Le monete dei Kushāna e l’impero romano”, Orientalia N.S. 17, 1948, 205-245.
– “Mosè, vescovo di Adulis”, Orientalia Christiana Periodica 13, 1947, 613–623; “La Fierà di Batnae e la traslazione di S. Tomaso a Edessa”, RAL 8:6, 1951, 77-104.
– Le leggende orientali sui Magi evangelici. 262 p. Studi i Testi 163. Città del Vaticano 1952.
Sources: S. Armando, “Ugo M. de V. (1881–1954) and the Establishment of Islamic Art Studies in Italy”, Muqarnas 30, 2013, 35-72 with two photos and bibliography; S. Armando, D.B.I. 75, 2011 (treccani.it); Dawson & Uphill, Who Was Who in Egyptology. Rev. 2nd ed. 1972; M. Bussagli, E & W 5, 1955, 276-278; *Levi Della Vida, RSO 30, 1955, 172-181 with bibliography; bibliography by *A.M. Piemontese, RSO 58, 1984, 1-12; Italian Wikipedia.
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