SCHIAPARELLI, ERNESTO. - Egyptologist, b. at Occhieppo Inferiore (Biella) on 12 July 1856, d. at Torino on 17 Feb. 1928.
His first work, Del sentimento religioso degli antichi Egiziani, was published in Torino in the same year in which he graduated (1877). Having completed his training in Paris, he was appointed director of the Egyptian Museum in Firenze (1881), of which he compiled the Catalogo generale (Roma 1887). In 1894 he became director of the Egyptian Museum in Torino, which he was to enlarge considerably through the excavations, promoted by him, of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Egypt (1903-13), on which he reported in the Relazione sui lavori della Miss. archeol. ital. in Egitto, I (Torino 1924). Among his studies, an important investigation in the religious field should also be recalled: Il libro dei funerali degli antichi Egiziani (ibid. 1882-90).
A practising Catholic, he carried out extensive work in support of the Italian missions through the foundation of the Italica Gens (v.) and was especially a benefactor of the Franciscan missions in Egypt.