BALLERINI, PIETRO AND GEROLAMO. - Veronese priests, brothers, educated first at the Jesuit college, then at the seminary of their native city. They lived and worked together, attending to the publication of many works, in which it is not always possible to distinguish the part belonging to each; it may be said that Pietro shows himself more the theologian and canonist, Gerolamo more devoted to criticism and history. Their publications indeed excel through a vast and well-controlled erudition, a meticulous care and an excellent critical sense.
PIETRO b. at Verona on 7 Sept. 1698 and d. there on 28 March 1769. To him are owed: a Saggio della storia del probabilismo nella descrizione del cangiamento di sei insigni probabilisti in probabilioristi (Verona 1736), in which he defends himself against accusations of probabilism that arose on the occasion of another of his earlier works: Il metodo di s. Agostino negli studi (ibid. 1724). Against usury, after the edition of the Summa of St. Antoninus of Florence (4 vols., ibid. 1740-41) and of the Summa of St. Raymond of Peñafort (ibid. 1744), he published: De iure divino et naturali circa usuram (2 vols., Florence 1774-1777); against Febronius: De potestate ecclesiastica SS. pontificum et conciliorum generalium (Verona 1765); De ex ac ratione primatus romanorum pontificum (ibid. 1766). He also attended to the edition of St. Zeno's episc. veronensis sermones (ibid. 1739), and, by order of Benedict XIV, to a new edition of the works of St. Leo the Great to replace that of the Jansenist Quesnel: S. Leonis M. pontificis opera (3 vols., Venice 1753-56-57, taken up again by Migne, PL 54-56). Following the appearance of vol. I, the title of Doctor of the Church was solemnly decreed to St. Leo the Great.
GEROLAMO b. at Verona on 22 Jan. 1702, and d. there on 23 Feb. 1781. He collaborated on almost all his brother's works, and, aided by him, published the writings of his fellow countryman, Cardinal E. Noris: Henrici Noris veronensis, augustiniani S. R. E. Presbyteri Cardinalis opera omnia nunc primum collecta et ordinata (3 vols., Verona 1729-33) with the addition of several interesting studies; that one especially on the patriarchate of Aquileia. Also: I. Matthaei Giberti, ep. veronensis opera (ibid. 1732); Ratherii, ep. veronensis opera (ibid. 1765; taken up again by Migne, PL 136).
Of manuscripts the two brothers left a further 36 volumes.
Bibliography4 works
Celestino Testore