Reverend

Antonio Mongitore
Born(1663-05-04)May 4, 1663
Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily
Died6 June 1743(1743-06-06) (aged 80)
Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily
NationalityItalian
Occupation(s)Catholic priest, historian, writer
Known forBibliotheca Sicula sive de scriptoribus Siculis
Parent(s)Giuseppe Mongitore and Anna Mongitore (née Abbate)
Academic background
Influences
Academic work
DisciplineMedieval studies
Sub-disciplineHistory of Sicily
InfluencedGioacchino di Marzo[1]

Antonio Mongitore (4 May 1663 – 6 June 1743) was a Sicilian presbyter, historian and writer, known for his works about the history of Sicily. He was also canon of the cathedral chapter of Palermo.

Biography

Mongitore was born in Palermo on 4 May 1663 in a family of modest means. After having received his early education in the private religious schools, he entered the Jesuit College where he soon made an impression for his intelligence, religious sentiment, and sober habits. His education was, however, interrupted by the necessities of his family, and his aspirations to the priesthood frustrated by a regulation of the then Archbishop Jaime de Palafox y Cardona, who in an attempt to reduce the number of indigent priests, made a benefice a condition for ordination. Finding the priesthood for the moment beyond his reach, Mongitore, on his father's advice, studied law. During this period of his life which corresponded to the Messina revolt and the attempt by Louis XIV to use this occasion to weaken an already tottering Spanish Empire, Mongitore began his life-long study of the history and privileges of the ancient Kingdom of Sicily. It was also during this time that he made the friendship of the illustrious historian, Vincenzo Auria. Owing to the relaxing of the rule on benefices which followed Palafox's transference to Seville, Mongitore was ordained a priest on 20 May 1687. Within the church he rose to high honours, becoming a canon of the Cathedral (1721) and consultore of the Holy Office.

Works

The Biblioteca comunale di Casa Professa of Palermo, where the ensemble of Mongitore's manuscripts is conserved.

His first book (1695) is a life of St. Francis de Sales and his last (1742) an account of the religious fervours of Palermo and Sicily in honour of the Immaculate Conception. His most important work is the Bibliotheca sicula (1708), still consulted with respect by those who study the history (particularly the literary history) of Sicily. Of equal importance to the Bibliotheca Sicula is his Istoria sacra di tutte le chiese, conventi, monasteri, ospedali, ed altri luoghi pii della città di Palermo in nine manuscript volumes. These, along with his Palermitan diary, form the bulk of his manuscripts in the Biblioteca Comunale. In this pages Mongitore collected all that had been written by his predecessors, about the Palermitan churches and monastic foundations and added his own comments based on his immense erudition and formidable powers of observation.

List of works

Notes

Bibliography

  • Bazzano, Nicoletta (2011). "MONGITORE, Antonino". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Volume 75: Miranda–Montano (in Italian). Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. ISBN 978-8-81200032-6.
  • Francesco Testa, Ne’ funerali di Antonio Mongitore canonico della Metropolitana Chiesa di Palermo, Palermo 1743;
  • M. Gancia, Antonio Mongitore e il suo tempo, in A. Mongitore, La Sicilia ricercata nelle cose più memorabili, Palermo 1981, pp. V-XVI;
  • M.E. Alaimo, Antonio Mongitore: chi era e com’era, ibid., pp. XVIII-XXXVII.
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