SACCHINI, FRANCESCO. — Jesuit, historian, and man of letters, born at Paciano (Perugia) on 10 November 1570, died at Rome on 16 December 1625.
After teaching rhetoric in Florence and at the Collegio Romano, he was commissioned in 1606 to continue the history of the Order, begun by Fr. Orlandini; during this work he was also secretary to the superior general Mercuriano for 17 years. He published, with minor revisions, vol. I of the Historia Societatis Iesu, left by Orlandino (1614), followed by: vol. II, on Laimez (Antwerp 1620); vol. III, on Borgia (Rome 1649); vol. IV, on Mercuriano (there 1652); and the first part of vol. V, on Acquaviva (there 1661). In this work, his ardent love of truth is clearly expressed in his evaluation of sources, observance of chronology, and documented investigation of the minutest details. In the field of pedagogy he left De ratione libros cum profectu legendi deque vitanda moribus noxia (Ingolstadt 1614); Protrepticon ad magistros scholarum inferiorum (Rome 1625); Paraenesis ad magistros scholarum inferiorum (there 1625); all of them rich in enthusiasm for the art
of teaching and in acute observations on the characters of pupils.