ODORICO DA PORDENONE (Odorico Mattiuzzi). Villanova near Pordenone 1265/74/86 (probably around 1280) — Udine 14.1.1331. Italian Franciscan Friar and Traveller in Asia. From Pordenone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Wrote a famous account of his journey to China and Central Asia. Different legends are told of his origin and youth, apparently joined…
NORSA, Umberto. Mantua 16.12.1866 — Mantua 5.4.1943. Italian Polyglot Author and Translator. Born in a Jewish family, educated in Mantua, already then (1881) translated Catull’s poems, in 1884 Heine and W. von Humboldt. Law studies at Bologna, following his father’s wishes, but he also attended the classes of Giosuè Carducci.…
NITTI-DOLCI, Luigia. Naples 31.7.1903 — Paris 1.1.1939. Italo-French Indologist in Paris. Daughter of Francesco Saverio Nitti (1868–1953), a politician holding important positions in pre-fascist Italy (Prime Minister 1919-20), and Antonia Persico. Educated in Naples (school and university, studied classics). In 1923 the family escaped the fascists to Geneva. Herself she…
NAZARI, Oreste Giovanni Angelo Matteo Rolando. Turin 20.5.1866 — Palermo 1923. Italian Indologist and Linguist. Professor in Palermo. Son of Antonio Oddino Liborio Nazari (1816–1875) and Marianna Ermenegilda Dellavalle. Student of Gorresio. For a while teacher in Turin, 1898-1901 also PD at the university, then professore ordinario di sanscrito (Crisanti:…
MORINI, Giuseppe. 18?? — 1???. Italian interested in Sanskrit, fl. in the 1880s. One G. Morini (1842–1923) was gymnasium professor in Faenza in 1873, when he published the textbook Precetti di letteratura italiana. He was a friend of Giosue Carducci. Publications: Vālmīki. Il lamento dei genitori di Jajñadatta; brano del…
MONSERRATE, Antonio de (Antoni de Montserrat). Vic, Barcelona 1536? — Salsette 26.10.1605. Father. S.J. Spanish (Catalan) Missionary in India. Born in a noble family, joined S.J. 1556, studied at Coimbra, then served in Lisbon (ordained priest 1561), studied at Coimbra and left for India in 1574. Together with Rodolpho Aquaviva…
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 Monneret de Villard and Anna Foli, a Piedmontese family of Burgundian origin. Studied engineering and architecture…
MEZZOFANTI, Giuseppe Gaspare. Bologna 19.9.1774 — Rome 15.3.1849. Italian Polyglot, Cardinal. Born in a humble family as the son of a carpenter, Francesco Mezzofanti and Gesualda Dall’Olme, he showed early his talent in languages. Studied with the Piarists. Ordained priest 1797, he became Professor of Arabic, Hebrew and Greek at…
MESSINA, Giuseppe. San Cataldo, Sicily 6.1.1893 — Messina 28.6.1951. Father. S.J. Italo-French Scholar of Iranian and of History of Religion. Born near Caltanisetta in Central Sicily, son of the elder Giuseppe Messina and Francesca Sorce. Joined the Jesuits and studied philosophy in France and theology in the Netherlands, ordained priest…
MERLO, Pietro. Turin 15.11.1850 — Alpe di Chevignana near Castelveccana, Lombardy 13.10.1888. Italian IE scholar interested in Sanskrit. Professor in Pavia. Son of Clemente Merlo, a physician, and Benedetta Antonelli. After school in Domodossola from 1867 studies at Turin under Flechia. M.A. 1871. Worked as teacher in gymnasiums of Chieri,…