PACIAUDI, PAOLO MARIA. — Theatine, scholar, and librarian, born on 13 November 1710 in Turin, died on 2 February 1785 in Parma. He devoted himself to sacred oratory for a decade, until in 1750 he settled in Rome as procurator general of the Theatines.
At the same time, he took an interest in research into classical antiquities and was appointed a corresponding member of the French Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. In 1761 Duke Filippo of Parma offered him the post of antiquarian and librarian, intending to establish a new library in place of that of the Farnese, which had been transferred to Naples at that time. He went to France with the Sovereign’s approval and returned with a large quantity of rare books and codices for the new Library, which thereby soon became one of the finest in Italy. A friend of the minister Du Tillot, he approved the latter’s anti-Curial policy and the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Duchy. In 1768 he drew up a Constitution for the new Royal Studies, approved by Du Tillot and Duke Ferdinando, which laid the foundations for a university reform following the expulsion of the Jesuits. Having fallen from favor together with Du Tillot, he was deprived of the direction of the Library in 1771 and compelled to retire among the Theatines at S. Cristina. He nevertheless regained the office of librarian in February 1772, but definitively only in 1778.
At the request of Benedetto XIV, he wrote Memorie de' Gran Maestri del S. Ordine Gerosolimitano, 3 vols., Parma 1780; in addition, highly esteemed archaeological works, including Alcune singolari e strane medaglie (Naples 1738); Σκυαδιαφόρημα, sive de umbrellae gestatione (Rome 1752); De sacris christianorum balneis (Venice 1750; Rome 1758), which constitutes his masterpiece.