Pietro ALAGONA. — Italian theologian and canonist, b. in Syracuse in 1549, d. in Rome in 1624, penitentiary of St. Peter. A Jesuit from 1564, he held various offices in the Order and taught philosophy and theology. He gained considerable renown, especially for his three compendia on theological subjects, two of which were highly successful.
The first, *Compendium manualis Martini Azpilcetae Navarri de quaestionibus morum et conscientiae*, was published in Rome in 1590 under the pseudonym Pietro Giulvara and went through no fewer than 23 editions up to 1625. It was also translated into French. The second, *S. Thomae Aquinatis Theologicae summae compendium* (Rome 1629), reached 25 editions and was still in use in the 19th century. Of lesser interest is the *Totius iuris canonici compendium* (Rome 1622–23) in 2 vols. in 4°.