Andrea Gallandi

Oratorian and patristic scholar, born at Venice, 7 December, 1709; died there 12 January, 1779, or 1780. Gallandi was descended from an ancient French family. He pursued his theological and historical studies under such excellent teachers as the two Dominicans, Danello Concina, a renowned moralist, and Bernardo de Rossi (de Rubeis), a noted historical scholar and theologian. With both of these instructors he kept up a warm friendship after he had joined the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. He established his reputation as a scholar by compiling the still valuable work of reference: “Bibliotheca veterum patrum antiquorumque scriptorum ecclesiasticorum Græco-Latina” (Venice, 1765-81, 14 vols.; 2nd ed., 1788). The work was dedicated to the Venetian Senate, but Gallandi di not live to see its completion. It is a collection of 380 ecclesiastical writers of the first seven centuries; its special merit is that instead of compiling important works already accessible in print, Gallandi gathered together the smaller and less known writings. Greek originals were printed in good type with Latin translations, and copious notes relative to the authors and their works were added. He also published a collection of the treatises of famous canonists (Coustant of Saint-Maur, the Ballerini, etc.) on the origin and development of canon law, which was entitled, “De vetustis canonum collectionibus dissertationum sylloge” (Venice, 1778, 1 vol. folio; Mainz, 1790, 2 vols.). At his death Gallandi left the following work which has never been published: “Thesaurus antiquitatis ecclesiasticæ historico-apologetico-criticus complectens SS. patrum gesta et scripta doctissimorum virorum dissertationibus asserta et illustrata ac juxta seriem XII sec. digesta”.