TOCCI, ANTONIO. — Priest and sociologist, born in Serravalle d'Appechio (Urbino) in 1734, died in Cagli on 21 May 1814.
A pious and zealous priest, he devoted himself to the study of geography and law, became passionate about Enlightenment and Encyclopedist theories, and dreamed of reconciling their anti-religious doctrines with the precepts of Christianity, advocating a social and economic reform based on the Gospels. A friend of Cardinal Ganganelli, when the latter became pope under the name of Clement XIV, T. moved to Rome and for years worked on a monumental work (1778–84): *La felicità per tutti* [Happiness for All], in six large volumes, which he then reworked for a decade and only prepared for publication in 1794. The novelty and boldness of his theories encountered serious difficulties during ecclesiastical review, so that T., as a devoted son of the Church, consented to make all the modifications suggested to him. The book by T. still merits the attention of scholars today for its highly original content, advocating a new social order based primarily on the development of agricultural production, while advancing his reform plan with «innovative ideas in agrarian science, economics, hygiene, and law» (Spadoni).
Renzo U. Montini