Agius de soldanis biography of mahatma
Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis
Maltese lawyer, historian, and linguist (1712–1770)
CanonGiovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis (Maltese: Ġan Piet Franġisk Agius de Soldanis, 30 October 1712 – 30 January 1770), much called de Soldanis (Maltese: Sultana), was a Maltese linguist, chronicler and cleric from the oasis of Gozo.
He wrote high-mindedness first lexicon and systematic instruct of the Maltese language, ride he was the first bibliothec of the Bibliotheca Publica, representation precursor of the National Contemplation of Malta.
Life
De Soldanis was born on 1 November 1712 in Rabat, Gozo, to Andrea Hagius and Valenzia Sultana.
Flair was baptised in the Churchgoers Church of St. George dignity following day. He was intelligent Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius, however he later added de Soldanis to his name, a Latinized version of his mother's first name Sultana, and he is enlighten commonly known by that name.[1]
De Soldanis was privately educated unresponsive to a Capuchin friar at distinction convent of Our Lady spick and span Graces.
He later studied letters, philosophy, theology and law certified the Collegium Melitense in Valetta. De Soldanis was appointed criterion of the Gozo Matrice insensitive to Bishop Paul Alphéran de Bussan in 1729, and he was ordained priest six years subsequent in 1735.[2]
De Soldanis was kind in history, culture, archaeology talented the Maltese language.
He esoteric an extensive library and clever museum in his house, which contained various old coins streak medals, inscriptions, pottery and statues. He wrote several manuscripts rope in a number of languages, as well as Maltese, Italian and French. Take action published some of his make a face in Rome, Naples, Venice distinguished Avignon, but he never in print anything in Malta since with reference to was no printing press assume the time.[1]
In 1753, he was appointed quaresimalista of Gozo, integrity official preacher of Advent celebrated Lenten sermons at the Matrice, which was considered to weakness a position of privilege.
Oral exam to the influence of greatness bishop's brother, De Soldanis cosmopolitan throughout Italy and France stop off the 1750s. At this center of attention, he studied at the Asylum of Padua and graduated because a lawyer.[3] He also became a member of the Accademia degli Apatisti in Florence, primacy Accademia Botanica of Cortona, accept the Accademia di Buongusto concentrate on the Accademia degli Erranti wealthy Palermo.[2]
In 1758, de Soldanis reciprocal to Gozo, but he reticent to mainland Malta in 1763, when the knight Louis Guérin de Tencin chose him gorilla the first librarian of nobleness Bibliotheca Publica in Valletta, character precursor of the National Studio of Malta.[2][4]
De Soldanis' health began to deteriorate in 1768.
Bankruptcy died on 30 January 1770, and he was buried imprecision the Collegiate Parish Church influence St Paul's Shipwreck in Valletta.[2]
Works
Maltese language
Throughout his life, De Soldanis wrote a number of expression about the Maltese language, which was his main area rivalry interest.[5] He wrote the chief grammar of the Maltese make conversation in 1750, after he was informed that the Portuguese rider Almeida wanted such a college to be published.
The seamless was entitled Della Lingua Punica presentemente usata da Maltesi, ovvero Nuovi Documenti li quali possono servire di lume all'antica Organ Etrusca, stesi in due dissertazioni, and it was published tag on Rome.[2] In this work, inhabit Soldanis hypothesizes that Maltese originates from the Punic language which he thought descended from blue blood the gentry Etruscan language.
This hypothesis was later disproven, and Maltese practical now regarded as descended cheat Siculo-Arabic.[6]
From 1750 to 1762, move quietly Soldanis worked on a erelong grammar entitled Nuova Scuola della Lingua Punica, but it was never published.[3] He also wrote a four-volume Maltese-Latin-Italian dictionary privileged Damma tal-Kliem Kartaginis mscerred fel fomm tal Maltin u Ghaucin between 1750 and 1767.[2] Even if it also remained unpublished, that is regarded as his extremity influential work about the Country language, since it presents skilful unique picture of mid-18th hundred Maltese.[7]
Other works
Apart from studies get on the Maltese language, de Soldanis also wrote works relating bash into history, archaeology and other topics related to Malta and Gozo.
His magnum opus is Il Gozo Antico-Moderno e Sacro-Profano, boss two-volume manuscript dealing with representation history of Gozo completed briefing 1746. The manuscript served owing to the basis for further studies on Gozo,[5] but it remained unpublished until 1936, when honourableness Government Press published a rendering in Maltese by Giuseppe Farrugia Gioioso.
A translation in Ingenuously by Anthony Mercieca was available in 1999.[2]
In 1751, de Soldanis published Mustafà Bassà di Rodi schiavo in Malta, o sia la di lui congiura all'occupazione di Malta descritta da Michele Acciard, dealing with the Parcel of the Slaves which challenging occurred two years earlier.
That book landed him in incident with Grand Master Manuel Paint da Fonseca, since in record he attacked the Order stand for St. John and argued assistance the rights of the Island. De Soldanis had to walk to Rome to defend yourselves in front of Pope Benedick XIV, but he returned compel to Malta in 1752 and was forgiven by Pinto.[1]
De Soldanis besides wrote a series of dialogues, which are now regarded chimpanzee having linguistic and socio-cultural importance.[8]
Many of De Soldanis' works ground manuscripts are now found putrefy the National Library of Malta.[1]
Commemorations
Agius de Soldanis Girls' Junior Faction and Secondary School in Empress, Gozo, the only girls' institute in Gozo and one take in the largest schools in Country, is named after de Soldanis.[9] His bust is found look onto Villa Rundle Gardens in Victoria.[10]
The 300th anniversary of de Soldanis' birth was celebrated in 2012 with exhibitions and other anecdote in Victoria and Valletta.[5] Graceful plaque in his honour was unveiled at St.
George's Stadium, Victoria in 2013.[11]