GRAVINA, Domenico. - Dominican theologian, b. in Naples c. 1547, d. in Rome on 26 Aug. 1643. He taught in various convents and was promoted to master in theology in 1608. From 1610 he was professor at the Collegio S. Tommaso in Rome; in 1622 he became regent at the Studium in Taranto; he was also provincial of Naples and finally procurator general and vicar general of the Order (1643). Buried in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.
One of the most learned and illustrious Dominicans of his time. He left various works, most of them still in manuscript. Noteworthy among them are: *Catholicae praescriptiones adversus omnes veteres et nostri temporis haereticos*, in 12 volumes, of which only four were published in 7 volumes (Naples 1619-39). In response to Cardinal Bellarmine, who in his *De gemitu columbae* had criticized the ancient religious orders, he wrote: *Vox torturis seu de florenti usque ad nostra tempora... sacrarum Religionum statu* (ibid. 1625). To a reply by a Jesuit (U. Roth), he responded with *Congeminatae vox turturis... iterato occidentis* (ibid. 1633). Against the apostate Dalmatian Marc'Antonio de Dominis, formerly bishop of Segni and archbishop of Spalato, he published: *Pro sacro fidei catholicae et apostolicae deposito... apologeticus* (ibid. 1628) and *Pro sacrosanto Ordinis sacramento vindiciae orthodoxae* (ibid. 1634). He also wrote: *Ad discernendas veras a falsis visionibus et revelationibus haec est lapis Iudicis* (2 vols., ibid. 1638).