UGDULENA, GREGORIO. — Orientalist, born in Termini Imerese on 30 April 1815, died in Rome on 7 June 1872.
In 1843, already a priest, U. obtained the chair of Hebrew at the University of Palermo. However, because he had taken part in the insurrection of 1848, after the Bourbon restoration he was confined (1850) to the island of Favignana, where he began a work of translation and exegesis, namely La S. Scrittura in volgare riscontrata nuovamente con gli originali ed illustrata con breve commento. Having obtained permission to return to Palermo (1856), U. published 2 vols. of it (1859, 1862), comprising the Pentateuco and the books Giosuè-Re. Having enthusiastically resumed his political activity, he abandoned a work so promising from the scholarly point of view. U. joined the Garibaldist movement, which appointed him Minister of Public Education in the provisional government of Sicily. Following the union with the Kingdom of Italy, he was elected a deputy. In Florence, in 1865, he was appointed professor of Greek at the Institute of Higher Studies; after moving to Rome in 1870, he combined the teaching of Hebrew with that of Greek. His decidedly liberal political stance attracted much criticism from the conservatives, who at that time could not fail to disapprove of certain positions held by a priest. In addition to the writings mentioned, U. left a considerable number of speeches and memoirs. Notable among his publications are Biblici textus and G. U. interpretati (Palermo 1843); Sulle monete punico-ricule (there 1857); Discorso pronunciato alla Camera sopra l'elezione dei vescovi (Florence 1871).
(Phot. Enc. Catt.)
UGHELLI, FERDINANDO — Lower part of fol. 277 of vol. VI of Italia sacra, with autograph marginal notes — Vatican Library, cod. Barb. lat. 3210, fol. 277.