LADERCHI, GIACOMO. - Oratorian, historian, b. at Faenza c. 1678, d. at Rome 23 Apr. 1738.
He devoted himself to hagiography and published various writings on the subject, among them Vita s. Petri Damiani (Rome 1702) and Acta passionis ss. martyrum Crescii et Sociorum (Florence 1707); both, but especially the latter, obliged him to write two apologetic works: La critica di oggi ossia l'abuso della critica odierna (Rome 1726) and I congressi letterarii di oggi (Venice 1734). Also worthy of mention are: De basilicis ss. martyrum Petri et Marcellini dissertatio historica (Rome 1705); Acta s. Ceciliae et transtiberina basilica illustrata (ibid. 1772); but above all his continuation of Baronio’s Annales with vols. XXXV-XXXVII for the pontificate of s. Pio V (Rome 1728-34) should be recalled. Of all these works it must be said that they do not always display sufficient critical preparation or an exact evaluation of the documents and of their importance.