SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY SCHOLARS IN ROME. - Founded by Fr. Luigi Bruzza and G. B. De Rossi on 12 Dec. 1875 to prepare, train and spur on, through periodic meetings, friendly discussions and observations, that group of young beginners who were directing themselves to the study of Christian antiquities, Italians and foreigners, and among these especially the pupils of the «École française de Rome» and of the German Archaeological Institute. Among those present at the foundation were the young Mariano Armellini, Giacomo Lumbroso, Enrico Stevenson and Orazio Marucchi.
The first seat of the Society was in a hall adjoining the church of S. Carlo a' Catinari; in 1885 in the palace of the Ecclesiastical Academy at the Minerva; then it shared its seat with the Pontifical Roman Academy of Archaeology at the Cancelleria; from 1927 to 1935 at the Pontifical Institute of Archaeology; after an interruption of some years it resumed meeting from Feb. 1944 at the Cancelleria, at the said Pontifical Academy.
Of the minutes from the meetings of 1875 to 1887 a volume was published with a preface by O. Marucchi, footnotes by G. B. De Rossi and an analytical index by A. Grossi Gondi: Resoconto delle conferenze dei c. di a. c. in Roma, dal 1875 al 1887 (Rome 1888).
President of the Society was Fr. L. Bruzza until 1883; then G. B. De Rossi until his death (1894), then from Dec. 1899 L. Duchesne until 1922; then Orazio Marucchi until 1931; G. P. Kirsch until 1935; from 1944 to 1949 Fr. A. Ferrua; from 1950 E. Josi. First secretary from the foundation to 1922 was Orazio Marucchi, then E. Josi, V. Capocci, R. Fausti, L. De Bruyne, A. P. Frutaz, A. Amore.
Still today the society continues, according to tradition, in its meetings to present new studies and observations in order to give above all the young the opportunity to freely set forth their first essays, to facilitate relations and scientific contacts with the various foreign institutions, and to communicate news of recent discoveries and new publications.
The minutes of the meetings were received in his Bulletino di archeologia by G. B. De Rossi, who enriched them with his annotations; they were then subsequently published until 1922 in the Nuovo bulletino di archeologia cristiana; then in the Rivista di archeologia cristiana.
Enrico Josi