Thomas Gallo (of Vercelli)

THOMAS GALLO (OF VERCELLI). - Also called Thomas of St. Victor or Thomas of Vercelli, he was already a Regular canon of the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris in 1218, when he composed the commentary on Isaiah.

From this moment he had become familiar with the works of the pseudo-Dionysius. In the retinue of Cardinal Guala Bicchieri he came to Italy (1219) and at Vercelli founded the monastery of St. Andrew, of which in 1224 he was prior and in 1226 abbot. To the first years of his stay at Vercelli belong the commentary on the Song of Songs and the Glossae in cael. hierarchiam; from 1232 are the Glossae in mysticam theol., from 1237 the second commentary on the Song of Songs, from 1238 the Extractiones from various works of the pseudo-Dionysius; from 1241 the Explan. in mysticam theol., which is followed by the Explan. de div. nominibus. In 1238 he hosted the emperor Frederick II, and in 1243, when Vercelli declared itself Guelph, the abbot took refuge with the Ghibellines at Ivrea. The same year he published at Vercelli the Explan. de cael. hier. Deposed for the support he had given to the Ghibellines, he refused to submit and settled again at Ivrea, where he devoted himself to a third commentary on the Song of Songs, to the Explan. in eccles. hier. and to other mystical works. He died, perhaps after returning to his abbey, in December 1246. He deepened the study of the writings of the pseudo-Dionysius and strove to reconcile them with Sacred Scripture and with the spirit of the theology of John the Saracen. Great was the influence of his writings on Franciscan and Cistercian mysticism, as well as on German mysticism from Master Eckhart of Hochheim to Cardinal Cusanus.

Bruno Nardi