LEONORI, ARISTIDE. - Engineer and architect, b. in Rome on 28 July 1856, d. there on 30 July 1928. Having graduated from the University of Rome, he began an activity prodigious in its bulk and in the quantity of works executed in Rome and abroad, especially in the construction of religious buildings, so as to merit the title of "inspired builder of the house of God."

In 1875 he founded the Circle of the Immaculate Conception, which he brought to great splendor, and in 1885 the Hospice of St. Philip for poor and abandoned children, which absorbed a good part of his activity and his earnings. The Institute came to an end through anticlerical machinations. The grave accusations brought against L. fell because they were groundless, and he, who had borne the misfortune with a strong spirit, was acquitted of every charge and fully rehabilitated.

An indefatigable apostle of catechetical teaching and of the work of First Communions, a Franciscan tertiary, he was called the "holy engineer." The cause for his beatification is in progress at the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: G. Venturini, Un ingegnere santo, A. L., Rome 1931; V. Bianchi Cagliesi, In occasione della traslazione del corpo di A. L., ibid. 1932.

Silverio Mattei

@incollection{ec7_leonori_aristide, author = {Mattei, Silverio}, title = {Leonori, aristide}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {1166--1167}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/leonori-aristide} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Leonori, Aristide

About this entry