GASPARE LEONARDUCCI. — Ascetic writer and poet, born in Venice in 1685, died in Cividale on 6 June 1752. He entered the Somascan Order at a young age in S. Maria della Salute in Venice, where he also taught literature and had as a pupil the philosopher Jacopo Stellini. In the Collegio Clementino in Rome, he restored the cult of Dante through his teaching. He later became parish priest of S. Croce in Padua and rector of the same college, then rector of the College of Cividale del Friuli, where he died.
He composed a poem, *La Provvidenza*, in 61 cantos in terza rima. Among his ascetic works, the *Considerazioni cristiane morali* (Padua 1739) and *Del modo di ben comunicarsi e confessarsi* (ibid. 1732), intended for the students of the Somascan colleges, enjoyed great favor. Unpublished are a *Commentario sulla poetica* and other literary and religious writings.