BIANCHI, Ugo. Cavriglia, Arezzo 13.10.1922 — Firenzuola, Florence 14.4.1995. Italian Scholar of Iranian Religion. Grew up in Rome. Studies of classical philology, ancient history and especially History of Religions at Sapienza in Rome under Pettazzoni. Ph.D. 1944. In 1952-56 member of Istituto italiano per la storia antica in Rome, also worked as schoolteacher. From 1959 PD of History of Religions at Rome, but soon, 1960-62 Professore straordinario and 1963-71 ord. of History of Religions at Università di Messina, then 1971-74 Professor at Bologna, and from 1974 until 1992 Professor of History of Religion at Sapienza University of Rome. Also taught at Catholic University of Milano (from 1972 as Prof. incaricato) and at Pontifical University Urbaniana in Rome (from 1977 as Professor of Etnologia religiosa). President of International Association of the History of Religions. Hon. dr. 1980 Uppsala and Louvain-la-Neuve. Died of a heart attack. Married 1956 Adriana Giorgi, four children.
Bianchi was specially interested in Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Gnosticism, but also in Graeco-Roman religions. In his studies he emphasized historical and comparative approach.
Publications: Zamān i Ōhrmazd. Lo Zoroastrismo nelle sue origini e nella sua essenza. 263 p. Torino 1958; Il dualismo Religioso. Saggio Storico ed Etnologico. 215 p. Roma 1958.
– “Le dualisme en histoire des religions”, RHR 159, 1961, 1-46; “Le problème des origines du gnosticisme et l’histoire des religions”, Numen 12, 1965, 161-179; “L’inscription ‘des daivas’ et le zoroastrisme des Achéménides”, RHR 192, 1977, 3-30; and many other studies in Numen, etc.
– The History of Religions. 228 p. Leiden 1975.
– Selected Essays on Gnosticism, Dualism and Mysteriosophy. 12+471 p. Leiden 1978.
– Books on Gnosticism, classical religion, etc.
Sources: *G. Casadio (ed.), U.B. Una vira per la storia delle religioni. Bibl. de Storia delle Rel. 3. Rome 2002; G. S. Gasparro, Hist. of Rel. 37, 1997, 99f.; K. Rudolph, Numen 42, 1995, 225-227; Chi é 1961; Who’s Who in Italy 3rd ed. 1980; *Giulia Sfameni Gasparro (ed.). Agathè elpis. Studi storico-religiosi in onore di Ugo Bianchi. Roma 1995 (with life and bibliography) ; Italian Wikipedia.
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