A
2,780 articles · 459 under Al · English index · Indice italiano-
Alessio de' Falconieri (ALESSIO, DE' FALCONIERI)
ALESSIO, de' FALCONIERI: v. SETTE ZONDATORI. -
Alessio di Santa Marta
Discalced Carmelite, in the world Giovanni Matteo Lubati; b. at Carrù (Mondovì) on 25 Feb. 1648, he took the habit at Mondovì on 16 July 1665; he lived almost… -
Aleutian (ALEUTINE)
Archipelago of about 150 islands (of which 12 are major) and rocks, all mountainous and volcanic (with dormant and active cones), divided into 5 groups (Fox… -
Alexander, Archibald
Presbyterian theologian of the United States, b. at Augusta (now Rockbridge) on 17 April 1772, d. at Princeton (New Jersey) on 22 October 1851. Shaken out of… -
Alexander, Bishop and Patron of Fiesole, Martyr (ALESSANDRO, VESCOVO E PATRONO DI FIESOLE, MARTIRE)
Returning from Pavia, where he had gone to the emperor Lothair (associated with the empire in 817, d. 855), he was thrown into the Rhine by the envoys of the… -
Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem, Saint, Martyr (ALESSANDRO, VESCOVO DI GERUSALEMME, SANTO, MARTIRE)
Educated at the school of Alexandria, he was a disciple of Pantaenus and of Clement and a faithful friend of Origen. In the early years of the 3rd century he… -
Alexander, Evenzio and Teodulo, Saints, Martyrs (ALESSANDRO, EVENZIO E TEODULO, SANTI, MARTIRI)
The Hieronymian Martyrology, the Gregorian Sacramentary and the Gelasian Sacramentary of the 8th century commemorate them on 3 May: Romae, Via Nomentana… -
Alexander I Balas (ALESSANDRO I, BALA)
King of Syria (150-145 B.C.), whose history is narrated in 1 Macc. 10:1 - 11:17. He was called a son of Antiochus IV, but was probably nothing more than an… -
Alexander III, Pope (ALESSANDRO III, PAPA)
Rolando Bandinelli, of very humble origin, b. at Siena at the beginning of the 12th century, became famous at Bologna for his teaching of law. From there… -
Alexander III, Tsar of Russia (ALESSANDRO III, ZAR DI RUSSIA)
B. 26 Feb./10 March 1845, d. 20 Oct./1 Nov. 1894 at Livadia. Having succeeded his father A. II, who was assassinated in 1881, A. III intensified the autocratic… -
Alexander II, Pope (ALESSANDRO II, PAPA)
When Pope Nicholas II died in Florence on 27 July 1061, the election of his successor could not take place until the following 1 October. It took place outside… -
Alexander II, Tsar of Russia (ALESSANDRO II, ZAR DI RUSSIA)
B. in Moscow on 17/29 April 1818, d. in St. Petersburg on 1/13 March 1881. A. began his reign in 1855 by putting an end to the Crimean War with France and… -
Alexander I of Julfa (Giulfaezi) (ALESSANDRO I DI GIULFA (GIULTAIETZI))
Katholikos of Egniazin from 1706 to 1714. A Monophysite and opposed to the Latin missionaries, certainly also through a lack of mutual understanding, he wrote… -
Alexander I Pavlovich, Tsar of Russia (ALESSANDRO I PAVLOVIC, ZAR DI RUSSIA)
B. in St. Petersburg on 12/23 Dec. 1777, d. at Taganrog on 19/30 Nov. 1825. Having ascended the throne in March 1801, he did not follow the Francophile… -
Alexander I, Pope, Saint (ALESSANDRO I, PAPA, SANTO)
Pontiff from 109 to c. 119. St. Irenaeus (Adv. haer., III, 3: PG 7, 851) indicates A. as the successor of Evaristus and the fifth bishop of Rome after St.… -
Alexander IV, Pope (ALESSANDRO IV, PAPA)
On the death of Innocent IV, which occurred at Naples, where he had gone to defend the rights of the Holy See over the Kingdom, the cardinals who had… -
Alexander Jannaeus (ALESSANDRO IANNEO)
Hasmonean king (v. ASMONEI). Son of Hyrcanus II, on the death of his brother Aristobulus I (103 B.C.) he received from the latter's widow Alexandra Salome… -
Alexander, Joseph Addison
Third son of Alexander Archibald (v.), Presbyterian exegete, b. in Philadelphia in 1809, d. at Princeton in 1860. From 1838 he taught Oriental languages and… -
Alexander, Metropolitan of Gerapoli (ALESSANDRO, METROPOLITA DI GERAPOLI)
He took part in the Council of Ephesus, protesting that the so-called Orientals had not been awaited, that is, the patriarch of Antioch, John, with his… -
Alexander of Abonotichus (ALESSANDRO DI ABONOTICO)
Born at Abonoteichos, on the Black Sea, ca. 115 A.D., died around 175. A contemporary of Lucian of Samosata, with whom he had personal quarrels, A. belonged to… -
Alexander of Alexandria (ALESSANDRO DA ALESSANDRIA)
ALESSANDRO da ALESSANDRIA: v. BONINI ALESSANDRO. -
Alexander of Aphrodisias (ALESSANDRO D'AFRODISIA)
Peripatetic philosopher from Caria and celebrated commentator on Aristotle. He lived at the end of the 2nd century AD and the beginning of the 3rd, under the… -
Alexander of Bremen (ALESSANDRO DA BREMA)
Franciscan, author of a commentary on the Apocalypse. He was canon-scholastic of the cathedral of Bremen; he entered the Order of Minors and remained there as… -
Alexander of Hales (ALESSANDRO DI HALES)
Theologian of the Friars Minor, called the Irrefragable Doctor. Born in Hales, in the County of Gloucester (England), around 1170, since in 1235 he was already… -
Alexander of Villedieu (ALESSANDRO DE VILLA DEI)
Grammarian, b. at Villedieu-les-Poëles in Normandy ca. 1150. He studied in Paris and devoted himself to the education of the nephews of the bishop of Dol. He… -
Alexander, Patriarch of Antioch (ALESSANDRO, PATRIARCA D'ANTIOCHIA)
He had spent his life practicing monastic virtues and every kind of austerity, when in 313 he succeeded Porphyrius as patriarch of Antioch. Through the… -
Alexander, Saint, Bishop of Constantinople (ALESSANDRO, VESCOVO DI COSTANTINOPOLI, SANTO)
Consecrated bishop of Byzantium between 313 and 317, d. in 336. He was a defender of orthodoxy against the error of Arius. Compelled by Constantine to receive… -
Alexander, Saint, Martyr (ALESSANDRO, SANTO, MARTIRE)
ALESSANDRO, santo, martire: v. SISINNIO, MARTIRIO e ALESSANDRO, saints, martyrs. -
Alexander, Saint, Patriarch of Alexandria (ALESSANDRO, PATRIARCA DI ALESSANDRIA, SANTO)
He held the see from 312 to 326. When Arius, a member of his Church, began to spread among the Alexandrian clergy and monks his doctrines on the Word, he… -
Alexander Sauli, Saint (ALESSANDRO SAULI, SANTO)
Bishop of Aleria, b. in Milan on 15 Feb. 1534 to a noble Genoese family, d. at Calosso (Asti) on 11 Oct. 1592. After completing his humanistic studies at… -
Alexander Severus, Roman Emperor (ALESSANDRO SEVERO, IMPERATORE ROMANO.)
He was the son of Gessius Marcianus and Julia Mamaea; before his adoption by his cousin Elagabalus (221) he was called Bassianus or Alexianus. He succeeded… -
Alexander the Great, III of Macedon (ALESSANDRO MAGNO, III DI MACEDONIA)
Born in 356 B.C. to Philip II of Macedonia. He succeeded his murdered father on the throne (336) and, having subdued the neighboring peoples, among them the… -
Alexander V, Antipope (ALESSANDRO V, ANTIPAPA)
Pietro Filargo, of very humble origin, was born in Crete in 1340. Protected by a > (from Serafini, Monete e bolle pontificie) ALEXANDER V, antipope - Silver… -
Alexander VIII, Pope (ALESSANDRO VIII, PAPA)
Pietro Vito Ottoboni, of a noble Venetian family, b. 22 Oct. 1610, took his doctorate at Padua in both laws, and, having gone to Rome, became successively… -
Alexander VII, Pope (ALESSANDRO VII, PAPA)
Fabio Chigi, b. at Siena on 13 Feb. 1599. He was in Rome from Dec. 1626 to Oct. 1629; vice-legate at Ferrara until June 1634, he also discharged the functions… -
Alexander VI, Pope (ALESSANDRO VI, PAPA)
Rodrigo Borgia (Borja), b. in 1430 or '31 at Xativa, in the province of Valencia, to Jofré and Isabella, sister of Alfonso, the future Pope Callixtus III, held… -
Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (ALESSANDRO JAROSLAVIĆ NEWSKI)
Born in 1220 (?), died in 1263. Still a young prince, he was lieutenant in Novgorod and as such in 1240 defeated the Swedes on the Neva River, a victory that… -
Alexandra Asmonea (ALESSANDRA ASMONEA)
Princess of the Hasmonean family (v.), daughter of Hyrcanus II, high priest and ethnarch; she married her cousin Alexander, son of Aristobulus II. She had two… -
Alexandra Salome (ALESSANDRA SALOME)
Hasmonean queen, b. in 140, d. in 67 B.C. She was the wife of Aristobulus I (v.); since he had died (103 B.C.) without children, A. conferred the high… -
Alexandreion
A Palestinian fortress, built near the Jordan, where Qarn Sartabe ends, by Alexander Jannaeus (d. 76 B.C.). It often served as a refuge for the last Hasmoneans… -
Alexandre, Noël
Dominican historian-theologian, b. at Rouen on 19 January 1639; d. at Paris on 21 August 1724. He entered the Dominicans at Rouen in 1654 and professed on 9… -
Alexandria of Egypt (ALESSANDRIA D'EGITTO)
A city of Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., 14 km west of the branch of the Nile called Canopus, on the shore of the Mediterranean opposite… -
Alexandrinism (ALESSANDRISMO)
A philosophical current inspired by the interpretation that Alexander of Aphrodisias (v.) gave of Aristotle's thought, especially as regards the doctrine of… -
Alexei Pleščeev (ALESSIO PLEŠČEJEV)
Dissident metropolitan of Kiev and of all Russia from 1354 to 1378. He was one of the most celebrated metropolitans of the grand duchy of Moscow. In 1361 he… -
Alexici, Ioan
Greek-Catholic bishop in Transylvania, b. 24 June 1801 at Maladia and d. 29 June 1863 at Gherla. On 28 Oct. 1855 he was consecrated first bishop of Gherla. In… -
Alexios I Komnenos, Emperor of Byzantium (ALESSIO I COMMENO, IMPERATORE DI BISANZIO)
He reigned from 1081 to 1118. He belonged to a feudal family originally from Comne in Thrace, but transplanted to Asia Minor; his uncle Isaac had already been… -
Alexius, Aristenes
ALEXIUS, ARISTENES: v. ARISTENO, ALESSIO. -
Alexius, Saint (ALESSIO, SANTO)
According to the oldest version of the legend, which seems to contain the authentic history of the saint, he was an anonymous Roman beggar, born of a wealthy… -
Alfani, Augusto
Academician of the Crusca, philosopher and educationist, b. in Florence on 17 Nov. 1844, d. there in 1923. A teacher of philosophy, he followed the somewhat… -
Alfani, Domenico and Orazio (ALFANI, DOMENICO E ORAZIO)
Painters. DOMENICO, b. in Perugia ca. 1480, d. after 1553, collaborator and friend of Raphael, painted after the master's design the Eternal Father on the… -
Alfani, Guido
Born in Florence on 17 January 1876 to Prof. Augusto, a member of the Accademia della Crusca, and to Luisa Carobbi, he died there on 20 November 1940. A… -
Alfano (Alphanus), Archbishop of Salerno (ALFANO (ALPHANUS), ARCIVESCOVO DI SALERNO)
Theologian, philosopher, physician, poet. Born in Salerno to a most noble family, between 1015 and 1020, died 9 October 1085, he lived in the golden period of… -
Alfano da Termoli
Apulian sculptor of the first half of the 12th century. Three capitals formerly belonging to the destroyed ciborium above the high altar of the cathedral of… -
Alfarano, Tiberio
Born at Gerace (Reggio Calabria), by 1544 he was already serving at St. Peter's, and from 1567 he was a benefited cleric there. He died in 1596, leaving his… -
Alfaro, Pedro de
Spanish Franciscan, missionary in the Philippines, b. in Seville in the first half of the 16th century. Superior of the first expedition of Friars Minor that… -
Alfeldt
ALFELDT: v. AGOSTINO d'ALFELDT. -
Alferius, Saint (ALFERIO, SANTO)
Founder and first abbot of the Cluniac monastery of Cava dei Tirreni, b. in 931, according to the life written in the first half of the 11th century, into a… -
Alfieri, Benedetto Innocente
Architect, of a noble family of Asti, b. in Rome in 1700, where he had Pope Innocent XII as his godfather, d. in Turin on 9 Dec. 1767. He was trained in Rome… -
Alfieri, Pietro
Musician, b. June 29, 1801 and d. June 12, 1863 in Rome. A Camaldolese monk, abbot, professor of singing at the English College in Rome, contributor to the… -
Alfieri, Vittorio
Tragic poet, b. in Asti on 16 Jan. 1749, "of noble, well-to-do and honest parents," Antonio and Monica Maillard de Tournon, d. in Florence on 8 Oct. 1803.… -
Alfio, Saint, Martyr (ALFIO, SANTO, MARTIRE)
They were from Lentini. This saint, with his two brothers Philadelphus and Cyrinus, is known to us from a late text (8th-9th centuries) and of no historical… -
Alfonso (Alonso) of Madrid (ALFONSO (ALONSO) DI MADRID)
Spanish Franciscan writer, b. in Madrid in the last quarter of the 15th century. Nothing is known of his life. He wrote: Arte para servir a Dios (Seville… -
Alfonso de Isla
Portuguese Franciscan of the 16th century. Nothing is known of his life. He published Tesoro de virtudes (Medina 1543, and elsewhere). This work, in 1574, was… -
Alfonso della Croce
Spanish Franciscan of the 17th century, born of a noble family at Valdemoro, died at Medina on 24 January 1631. He was several times local superior, provincial… -
Alfonso de Orozco
ALFONSO de OROZCO: v. OROZCO, ALFONSO de. ALFONSO, PIETRO (MOSÉ SEPHARDO): v. PIETRO D'ALFONSO. -
Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara (ALFONSO I D'ESTE, DUCA DI FERRARA)
Born in Ferrara on 21 July 1476 to Ercole I and Eleonora of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand, king of Naples; died 31 Oct. 1534. He inspired his government with a… -
Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara (ALFONSO II D'ESTE, DUCA DI FERRARA)
B. at Ferrara on 22 Nov. 1533 to Ercole II and Renata of France, daughter of Louis XII; d. there on 27 Oct. 1597. Devoted with all his energy to the… -
Alfonso III of Aragon and II of Catalonia (ALFONSO III D'ARAGONA E II DI CATALOGNA)
B. in 1265, d. in 1291. He succeeded Peter III (II) in 1282 in difficult circumstances brought about by the Angevin-Aragonese rivalry for the possession of… -
Alfonso III of León, the Great (ALFONSO III, RE DI LEÓN, IL GRANDE)
Born in 838, died in 912, son of Ordoño I. Under him began the internal dissensions among the Christians, which were to delay by several centuries the total… -
Alfonso III of Portugal, called the Reformer (ALFONSO III, RE DI PORTOGALLO, DETTO IL RIFORMATORE)
B. in 1210, d. in 1279. He earned the title of "reformer" through his various civil undertakings: protection of industries, stabilization of the currency… -
Alfonso II, King of Asturias and León, called the Chaste (ALFONSO II, RE DELLE ASTURIE E LEÓN, DETTO IL CASTO)
B. in 759, d. in 842; son of Fruela, he fought successfully against the Moors, reaching, in most daring raids, as far as the walls of Lisbon. Memorable was his… -
Alfonso II of Aragon and I of Catalonia (ALFONSO II D'ARAGONA E I DI CATALOGNA)
Son of the count of Barcelona Raymond Berengar IV and of Petronilla, granddaughter of Alfonso I and daughter of Ramiro II, king of the Aragonese, b. in 1152… -
Alfonso II of Portugal, called the Fat (ALFONSO II, RE DI PORTOGALLO, DETTO IL GRASSO)
B. in 1185, d. in 1223, grandson of Alfonso and son of Sancho I. At the congress of Coimbra (1211) he gave the first general laws of the nation, in which the… -
Alfonso I, King of the Asturias, called the Catholic (ALFONSO I, RE DELLE ASTURIE, DETTO IL CATTOLICO)
Born in 693, died in 756, son of Peter duke of Cantabria, he was the son-in-law of that Pelagius who at Covadonga began the reconquest of Spain, which had… -
Alfonso I of Aragon, called the Battler (ALFONSO I D'ARAGONA, DETTO IL BATALLADOR)
Having succeeded his brother Peter I in 1104, he ruled the Aragonese throne until his death in 1134. Following his marriage to Urraca, daughter and heir of… -
Alfonso I of Portugal, called the Conqueror (ALFONSO I, RE DI PORTOGALLO, DETTO IL CONQUISTATORE)
B. in 1109, d. in 1185, he was the first king of Portugal, more commonly called Alfonso Henriquez. His father Henry of Burgundy had held the county of Portugal… -
Alfonso IV, King of Asturias and León, called the Monk (ALFONSO IV, RE DELLE ASTURIE E LEÓN, DETTO IL MONACO)
Son of Ordoño II, he reigned from 925 to 932. Favored at first by fortune with the victory over the terrible caliph Abd al-Rahman, after the loss of Burgos and… -
Alfonso IV of Aragon and III of Catalonia (ALFONSO IV D'ARAGONA E III DI CATALOGNA)
Born in 1299, died in 1336; he ascended the throne in 1327 following the death of his father James II, after having completed the conquest of Sardinia, for… -
Alfonso IV of Portugal, called the Brave (ALFONSO IV, RE DI PORTOGALLO, DETTO IL BRAVO)
Grandson of the preceding and son of Dom Denis, he ascended the throne in 1291. He was unpopular because of his haughty character, which in his youth had led… -
Alfonso IX, King of León (ALFONSO IX, RE DI LEÓN)
Son of Ferdinand II, b. in 1171, d. in 1230. He sought, through marriages, union with other kingdoms of the peninsula. He first married the holy princess… -
Alfonso López de Spina (ALFONSO LOPEZ DE SPINA)
ALFONSO LOPEZ DE SPINA: v. SPINA, ALFONSO LOPEZ de. -
Alfonso of Cartagena (Alonso de Santa María de Cartagena) (ALFONSO DI CARTAGENA (ALONSO DE SANTA MARIA DE CARTAGENA))
Son of the converted Jew Paul of St. Mary, bishop of Burgos (1435), counselor of John II of Castile. He distinguished himself at the Council of Basel. He… -
Alfonso of Castro (ALFONSO DI CASTRO)
Franciscan theologian of the 16th century, b. at Zamora, in Spain, in 1495 and d. at Brussels on 3 February 1558. At the age of 16 he took the Franciscan habit… -
Alfonso of Jesus Mary (ALFONSO DI GESÙ MARIA)
Spanish Discalced Carmelite ascetical writer, b. in 1565 at Villarejo (Cuenca) to noble parents, d. 18 Dec. 1638. He was twice general of the Order (1607-13… -
Alfonso of the Sorrowful Mother (ALFONSO DELLA MADRE ADDOLORATA)
Discalced Carmelite, in the world León Pavy; b. 7 Feb. 1842 in Oudenaarde (French Flanders), d. at Bruges on 18 May 1927. He entered the order in 1861, and… -
Alfonso of Zamora (ALFONSO DI ZAMORA)
Converted rabbi, b. at Zamora in 1474, baptized in 1506, d. in 1531. He was the first professor of Hebrew at the University of Salamanca. He worked for 15… -
Alfonso Rodríguez, Saint (ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ, SANTO)
Spanish Jesuit, b. in Segovia on 25 July 1532. Having gone into commerce and married, after the death of his wife and children and the loss of his property, he… -
Alfonso Vargas of Toledo (ALFONSO VARGAS DI TOLEDO)
ALFONSO VARGAS di TOLEDO: v. VARGAS ALFONSO. -
Alfonso VII, Emperor, King of Castile and León (ALFONSO VII, IMPERATORE, RE DI CASTIGLIA E DI LEÓN)
B. in 1126, d. in 1157, son of Urraca of Castile and of Raymond of Burgundy. After the death of this French prince, his mother entered into a second marriage… -
Alfonso VIII of Las Navas, King of Castile (ALFONSO VIII DE LAS NAVAS, RE DI CASTIGLIA)
Born in 1158, died in 1214, son of Sancho III, whom he succeeded while still a minor; this brought discord among his guardians, and the Saracens took advantage… -
Alfonso VI, King of Castile and León, called the Brave (ALFONSO VI, RE DI CASTIGLIA E DI LEÓN, DETTO IL BRAVO)
B. in 1030, d. in 1109, son of Ferdinand I, under whom the great conquests of the Christians in the Iberian peninsula began. His father had divided the… -
Alfonso VI, King of Portugal (ALFONSO VI, RE DI PORTOGALLO)
Born in 1643, he succeeded his father John IV, king of Braganza, who in 1640 had detached the kingdom from Spain. He therefore had to continue the war with… -
Alfonso V, King of Asturias and León, called the Noble (ALFONSO V, re delle ASTURIE e LEÓN, detto il NOBILE)
Great-nephew of Ramiro II, he reigned from 994 to 1027. Under him the great Christian victory of Calatañazor was won, and for the kingdom of León the "fueros"… -
Alfonso V, King of Portugal, called the African (ALFONSO V, RE DI PORTOGALLO, DETTO L'AFRICANO)
Born at Cintra in 1432, died there in 1481. The nickname derived from the great victories won in Africa, where he conquered Tangier, Alcazar and Arzila… -
Alfonso V of Aragon, IV of Catalonia, I of Naples, called the Magnanimous (ALFONSO V d'ARAGONA, IV di CATALOGNA, I di NAPOLI, detto il MAGNANIMO)
B. in 1396, d. in 1458. King of Aragon and of Sicily from 2 April 1416, when he succeeded his father Ferdinand I, in 1420 he was adopted as a son by Queen… -
Alfonso X, El Sabio (The Wise), of Castile (ALFONSO X, EL SABIO (IL SAPIENTE), DI CASTIGLIA)
B. in 1221 and d. in 1284, he succeeded his father Ferdinand III the Saint in 1252. Military preoccupations and political struggles saddened his reign: his… -
Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (ALFONSO XIII, RE DI SPAGNA)
Posthumous son of the preceding, b. 17 May 1886, d. 28 Feb. 1941. Through the care of his mother Maria Christina he received a good religious and literary… -
Alfonso XII, King of Spain (ALFONSO XII, RE DI SPAGNA)
Son of Queen Isabella II and of the king "consort" Francis Alfonso of Bourbon; b. in 1857, d. at the Prado on 25 Nov. 1885. When his mother was deposed by the… -
Alfonso XI, King of Castile and León (ALFONSO XI, RE DI CASTIGLIA E DI LEÓN)
Born in 1311, died in 1350. He was called the Justicer because of the terrible vendettas against his enemies, but his passion for Eleanor of Guzmán and for his… -
Alfonsus Tostatus
ALFONSUS TOSTATUS: v. TOSTATUS. -
Alford, Henry
Anglican theologian of the "Broad Church," b. in London in 1810; from 1857 dean of Canterbury, where he d. in 1871. He distinguished himself as a preacher, a… -
Alfred of Shareshel (ALFREDO DI SHARESHEL)
Also called Anglicus, he is a leading figure in the scientific-philosophical movement of medieval neo-humanism. He made versions from Arabic and knew Greek… -
Alfred the Great (ALFREDO IL GRANDE)
King of England, son of Ethelwulf and Osburga, b. at Wanading, in Berkshire, in 849, d. 28 Oct. 901. As an adolescent, he went several times to Rome to the… -
Algardi, Alessandro
Sculptor and architect, b. in Bologna on 27 Nov. 1595, d. in Rome in 1654. From Ludovico Carracci he learned painting and he was in the workshop of Giulio… -
Algarotti, Francesco
Polymath man of letters, b. in Venice on 11 Dec. 1712, d. in Pisa in 1764. He had an encyclopedic but superficial culture. Barely more than twenty years old… -
Algebra
ALGEBRA: v. MATEMATICA. -
Algeria
A. comprises the central section of the Atlas and a broad stretch of the northern Sahara (conquered by France between 1830 and 1870). The latter, divided into… -
Algero of Liège (ALGERO DI LIEGI)
Theologian and canonist (1060?-1131). Born in a region particularly attached to the emperor and therefore strongly wavering between imperial and papal policy… -
Al-Ghazali (ALGAZALI)
ALGAZALI: v. al-GAZZALI. -
Alghero, Diocese of (ALGHERO, DIOCESI DI)
City of northwestern Sardinia, in the province of Sassari. It arose at the beginning of the 12th century and was occupied in the second half of the 14th… -
Algiers (ALGERI)
E. Ficheur, Les régions naturelles de l'Algérie, in Annales de Géographie, Parigi 1902, pp. 221, 330, 419 seg.; A. Bernard, Enquête sur l'habitation rurale des… -
Algiers, Archdiocese of (ALGERI, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
Capital city of Algeria, situated on the coast of Mediterranean Africa, on the site of ancient Icosium. Occupied by the French in 1830, it has since developed… -
Algranati, Cesare
Journalist, b. in Ancona in 1865, d. in 1925. A Jew, he converted to Catholicism in 1887 in Rome, on the occasion of his marriage, and devoted himself to… -
Algué, José
Spanish Jesuit and scientist, b. at Manresa on 18 Dec. 1856, d. at Roquetas (Spain) on 27 May 1930. Having completed his ecclesiastical studies and received… -
Alibrandi, Ilario
Romanist, b. in Rome on 8 Feb. 1823, d. there on 27 Jan. 1894. At the University of Rome he professed Pandects from 1849 to 1870, then, having retired, he held… -
Alicante
ALICANTE: v. ORIHUELA. -
Alicula
A leather cape, with or without a hood, used by hunters, farmers, workers and boys. In Christian cemetery paintings and sculptures of Rome after the second… -
Alidosi, Francesco
Cardinal, b. at Castel del Rio (Imola) between 1450 and 1460, d. at Ravenna in 1511. Secretary and counsellor of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, he was created… -
Alienation (ALIENAZIONE)
ALIENAZIONE: v. BENI ECCLESIASTICI. -
Alife, Diocese of (ALIFE, DIOCESI DI)
In the Campanian region, in the province of Benevento, suffragan of Benevento. It has 19 parishes, 32 diocesan priests and 7 regulars; 35,000 inhabitants, all… -
Alighieri, Dante
ALIGHIERI, DANTE: v. DANTE. -
Alighieri, Jacopo
Son of the poet, he obtained in 1325 the revocation of the sentence of banishment and died in Florence in 1348. It is likely that he was, as Boccaccio… -
Alighieri, Pietro
Firstborn son of the poet, doctor of law, known to us as a judge in Verona (from records of 1332 and 1337) and in Vicenza in 1342; d. at Treviso in 1364. The… -
Alignments (ALIGNEMENTS)
ALIGNEMENTS: v. PREISTORIA, RELIGIONI della. -
'Alī, Ibn Abī Ṭālib ('ALĪ, IBN ABĪ TĀLIB)
Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, and his fourth successor as head of the Muslim community; the last in the series of "orthodox" or "rightly guided" caliphs… -
Alimonda, Gaetano
Cardinal, born in Genoa on 23 October 1818, died there on 31 May 1891. He studied at the seminary of Genoa and, ordained a priest on 10 June 1843, was… -
Alimony (ALIMENTI)
ALIMENTI: v. SCIENZA DELL'ALIMENTAZIONE. -
Alimony, Right to (ALIMENTI, DIRITTO AGLI)
The obligation to provide support to persons who are in a state of need, and particularly to those to whom one is bound by ties of kinship or affinity, is an… -
Aliotti, Girolamo
Benedictine writer, b. at Arezzo in 1412, d. in 1480. Having entered the abbey of St. Flora (1430), in 1437 he was prior of St. Cecilia of Foiano. He went to… -
Alipius, Saint (ALIPIO, SANTO)
Bishop of Tagaste, disciple and very close friend of St. Augustine, to whom we owe almost everything we know about him. Born at Tagaste a few years after… -
Alipius, Stylite, Saint (ALIPIO, STILITA, SANTO)
Born at Adrianople in Paphlagonia at the beginning of the 6th century. Orphaned of his father at the age of three, he was presented by his mother to the bishop… -
Aliprandi, Lorenzo (ALIPRANDI, LOBENZO)
Born in Cremona, ca. 1760, he was a professor of theology. He wrote: Osservazioni teologico-critico-polemiche ecc. (Pavia 1787) against a book by Eybel that… -
Alisan, Leontius (ALISAN, LEONZIO)
Mechitarist of Venice, b. in Constantinople in 1820, d. in Venice, in the odour of sanctity, on 22 Nov. 1901. He entered the monastery of Venice and, ordained… -
Aliscamps
ALISCAMPS: V. ARLES. -
Aliwal, Apostolic Vicariate of (ALIWAL, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
In South Africa; it was erected on 21 Feb. 1926, by elevation of the apostolic prefecture of Gariep, constituted on 12 June 1923, with the southern part of the… -
Alkaloids (ALCALOIDI)
ALCALOIDI: V. FARMACOLOGIA. -
Allacci, Leone
Greek theologian and scholar, b. on Chios in 1586, d. in Rome on 19 Jan. 1669; the surname has the variant spellings Allacio, or Allazio, from the original… -
Allah (ALLĀH)
Arabic name for God, formed, as is generally believed, from the article al and the word ilāh, which means "God, divinity," and is still preserved today in… -
Allahabad [Prayagraj], Diocese of (ALLAHABAD, DIOCESI DI)
City of northern India, capital of the district and of the region of the same name. Its position at the confluence of two sacred rivers, the Ganges and the… -
Allamano, Giuseppe
Priest, founder of the Institute of the Consolata for Foreign Missions and of the Missionary Sisters of the Consolata, b. at Castelnuovo d'Asti (Don Bosco) on… -
Allard, Jean-François-Marie
Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate, first vicar apostolic of Natal, b. 27 Nov. 1806 at La Roche (France), d. in Rome on 26 Sept. 1886. Already a priest since… -
Allard, Paul
French historian, b. in Rouen on 15 Sept. 1841, d. at Senneville-sur-Mer in Dec. 1916. He completed his literary studies at the Institut Join-Lambert, then… -
Allé, Girolamo (ALLE, GIROLAMO)
Bolognese preacher, b. in 1582, d. in 1660. He entered (1607) the Order of St. Jerome of Fiesole, becoming definitor there. For some thirty years he taught… -
Allegory (ALLEGORIA)
ALLEGORIA : v. ERMENEUTICA. -
Allegranza, Giuseppe
Learned Dominican archaeologist, b. in Milan in 1713, d. in Rome in 1786. He made many educational journeys throughout Italy and also in southern France… -
Allegretti, Carlo
Marchigian painter, b. at Monteprandone (Ascoli), in the second half of the 16th century. He drew inspiration from the Venetian school, in which he had… -
Allegri, Antonio
ALLEGRI, ANTONIO : v. CORREGGIO. -
Allegri Family (ALLEGRI, FAMIGLIA)
Name of various musicians of the 16th century, of whom the greatest was GREGORIO, b. in Rome in 1582, d. there on 17-18 Feb. 1652. As a boy he was, like his… -
Allegri, Pomponio
Painter, son of Antonio (v. CORREGGIO), b. at Correggio on 3 Sept. 1522, d. probably at Parma after 1595. His artistic training is uncertain. Although of no… -
Alleluia
A Hebrew religious acclamation ("Praise the Lord"), which passed into the Christian liturgy. 1. IN THE BIBLE. - The expression Hallēlā-Jāh is composed of two… -
Allemand, Jean-Joseph
Apostle of youth, initiator in France of the oratories (patronages), b. in Marseille on 27 Dec. 1772, d. there on 10 Apr. 1836. A cleric during the revolution… -
Allen, William
Apologist, founder of the seminary of Douai and of the English college of Rome, called "the cardinal of England," b. at Rossal (Lancashire) in 1532, d. at Rome… -
Alletz, Pons-Augustin
French Oratorian, later, having left the Congregation, a lawyer; b. at Montpellier in 1703, d. at Paris in 1785. An indefatigable compiler, he wrote on various… -
Alliance (ALLEANZA)
Under this name certain Protestant organizations are known, the principal ones of which are: 1) WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE (World's Evangelical Alliance). - In… -
Alliata, Guglielmo
Leader of Catholic Action, b. in Rome in 1852, d. there in 1937. A graduate of the Catholic University of Louvain, president of the Gioventù Cattolica… -
Allies, Thomas William
English convert, b. Feb. 12, 1813, d. June 17, 1903 in London, son of a Protestant minister and himself a minister. From the study of the Fathers he was led to… -
Allievo, Giuseppe
Philosopher and educationist, b. at S. Germano, a village in the Vercelli area, on 14 Sept. 1830, d. at Turin on 24 June 1913. He completed his secondary… -
Allioli, Joseph-Franz von
Biblical scholar, b. 10 Aug. 1793 at Sulzbach (Bavaria), d. 22 May 1873 at Augsburg. In 1816 he became a priest at Regensburg and a doctor of theology at… -
Allix, Pierre
Protestant theologian and minister, b. at Alençon in 1641, d. in London on 3 March 1717. Esteemed as one of the most learned and effective polemicists of the… -
Allocution (ALLOCUZIONE)
A more or less solemn discourse delivered at an assembly; in particular it is more commonly used to denote those solemn declarations that the Pontiff is… -
Allo, Ernest
Dominican exegete, in religion Bernard Marie, b. 3 Feb. 1873 at Quintin (Côtes-du-Nord), d. in Paris 17 Jan. 1945. He completed his literary studies at… -
Allori, Alessandro
Painter, b. in Florence on May 3, 1535, d. Sept. 22, 1607. Left an orphan by his father, he was taken in by Agnolo Bronzino (v. BRONZINO), whose name he… -
Allori, Cristoforo (Cristofano)
Painter, son of Alessandro, born in Florence on 17 Oct. 1577, died there in 1621. He was a pupil of his father, from whom he inherited the nickname Bronzino… -
All Saints (Feast of All Saints) (OGNISSANTI (FESTUM OMNIUM SANCTORUM))
The feast of All Saints (Nov. 1) is not only intended to honor the saints properly so called, but in the intention of the Church it also includes all the… -
All Souls' Day and Martyrs' Day (ANNIVERSARIO DEI DEFUNTI E DEI MARTIRI)
ANNIVERSARIO DEI DEFUNTI E DEI MARTIRI: v. DEFUNTI, CULTO dei; MARTIRI, CULTO dei. -
Alluccio (Lucio), Blessed (ALLUCCIO (LUCIO), BEATO)
Son of a certain Homodei, born in the Val di Nievole, on an uncertain date, he was a shepherd in his early years, died at Pescia on 23 Oct. 1134. He devoted… -
Allut, Jean
One of the rebel Calvinists of the Cévennes known as Camisards, who were distinguished in the 18th century for their apocalyptic exaltations. A. was properly… -
Alluvion (ALLUVIONE)
ALLUVIONE: v. ACCESSIONE. -
Allvater
This is an expression introduced into the proper language of ethnology and the history of religions by the English explorer A. W. Howitt with his work The… -
Allys, Eugène-Marie-Joseph
Vicar apostolic of Hué (Annam). Born on 12 February 1852 at Paimpoint (Rennes), and having entered the Paris Foreign Missions in 1875, he departed for northern… -
Almachus, Saint, Martyr (ALMACHO, SANTO, MARTIRE)
The fuller manuscripts of the Hieronymian Martyrology have preserved under January 1 the following notice concerning A.: "The natal feast of A., who, having… -
Almain, Jacques
French Gallican theologian, b. at Sens around 1480, d. at Paris in 1515. First a pupil and then a professor from 1512 at the Collège de Navarre in Paris, he… -
Alma Mater
A medieval expression, synonymous with University. The concept of "mother" was applied to the university from the very origins of this glorious institution… -
Alma Redemptoris Mater
It is the first of the four great Marian antiphons, and it is recited at the end of Lauds and Compline, from the First Sunday of Advent until the Purification… -
Alma Roma
Monthly periodical, published in Rome from Jan. 1913 to Oct. 1942, at the Vatican printing press. It had been preceded by another similar journal, in Latin Vox… -
Al-Maśrīo ("The East") (AL-MAŚRIO («L'ORIENTE»))
A Catholic journal of scientific popularization in the Arabic language, founded in Beirut in 1898 by the Jesuits of the University of St. Joseph, to complement… -
Almatò, Pedro-José, Blessed (ALMATÒ, PEDRO-JOSÉ, BEATO)
Dominican, martyred in Tonkin on 1 Nov. 1861. Born on 1 Nov. 1830 at S. Feliz Saserra (Spain), he entered the college of Ocaña in 1847. A subdeacon, he left in… -
Almeida, Apollinare de
Jesuit, b. in Lisbon in 1587, entered the novitiate in 1601; titular bishop of Nicaea and coadjutor of the patriarch of Ethiopia. He set sail from Lisbon in… -
Almeida, Luis de
Missionary in Japan, b. in Lisbon around 1525, d. in October 1583 on the island of Amakusa. Having completed his medical studies in his homeland, A. embarked… -
Almeida, Manuel de
Jesuit missionary, b. at Viseu (Portugal) in 1581 and having entered religion in 1594, he set out for the missions of the East in 1601, was rector of the… -
Almeida Pereira de Andrade, Fortunato de
Portuguese scholar and historian, b. in 1869, d. in 1933, member of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, to whose disciplined and conscientious activity a good… -
Almeida, Theodoro de
Oratorian, b. in Lisbon in 1722, d. there in 1804. He taught philosophy and natural sciences, and published in 10 vols. his major work Recreacao philosophica o… -
Almería, Diocese of (ALMERIA, DIOCESI DI)
In Spain, situated in the territory of the province of the same name, suffragan of Granada. Within its limits was the ancient see of Urci, which was restored… -
Almici, Camillo
Italian Oratorian, theologian and scholar, b. 2 June 1714 in Brescia and d. in 1779. He was versed in every branch of knowledge and wrote: Dissertazione sopra… -
Almo (Alano), Abbot (ALMO (ALANO), ABATE)
Alnus is a form due to an error by Dempster, but the true name is Alanus: Cistercian abbot, d. 28 June 1236. From the abbey (Benedictine until 1136) of Melrose… -
Alms (ELEMOSINA)
I. CONCEPT. - From the Greek ἐλεημοσάνη = compassion, it generally means any assistance given to one who is in need; it therefore embraces both material and… -
Almuzia
A form of hood joined to a short mantle, whose rear part was longer than the front, which in the Middle Ages constituted the choir dress of certain canons. It… -
Aloe ('ΑΛῺΣ, from ἌΛΩΣ "Let it be") (ALÒE ('ΑΛῺΣ, DA ἌΛΩΣ «SIA»))
A festival of the Athenian calendar, which fell in the month of Posideon (December 15 – January 15), dedicated to Demeter and celebrated both in Athens and in… -
Alogi ('ΑΛΌΓΟΙ')
A sect known to us from St. Epiphanius (Haer., 51, 1-35; PG 41, 888-953), who imposed this name on it (ἄλογος, "without the Logos") accusing it of having… -
Aloisi (Alovisi), Giovanni Battista
Musician of the late 17th century, of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. Choirmaster in Bologna, he composed much sacred music, a good part of which… -
Aloisi Galanini, Baldassare, called Il Galanino (ALOISI GALANINI, BALDASSARRE, DETTO IL GALANINO)
Painter, b. in Bologna in 1577, d. in Rome in 1638. His works worthy of note are the Visitation in the church of the Carità, the Madonna with St. John the… -
Aloisi-Masella, Gaetano
Cardinal, born at Pontecorvo on 30 Sept. 1826, died at Rome on 22 Nov. 1902. Having entered the pontifical diplomatic service, he was secretary and auditor of… -
Alovisiani, Giacomo Battista
Augustinian, born in Ravenna toward the end of the 1400s, died ca. 1510. He lived almost his whole life in the convent of S. Stefano in Venice, devoted to… -
Alpha and Omega (ALFA E OMEGA)
Allegorical formula from the Apocalypse (1:8; 21:6; 22:13), which brings together the first and last letter (the beginning and the end) of the (Greek) alphabet… -
Alphabet (ALFABETO)
It is the means of expressing the individual vowel and consonant elements of a word by means of definite and constant signs. 1. ORIGIN. - a) This art required… -
Alphabet (Rite) (ALFABETO (RITO))
ALFABETO (RITO): v. CHIESA, dedicazione della. -
Alpheus (ALFEO)
The name Ἀλφαῖος is probably the Hebrew or Aramaic Halpai (1 Macc. 11:70; Calphi, Gk. Χαλφί), formed like Ἀγγαῖος from Haggai; it designates two figures of the… -
Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori (ALFONSO MARIA DE' LIGUORI)
Profession of faith with autograph signature (1762) - Vatican Secret Archives. Fondo Processi Concettoriali. Tommaso Falcoia, bishop of Castellammare di… -
Alred
ALRED: v. AELRED. -
Alsace (ALSAZIA)
A natural and historical region on the middle Rhine along the Franco-German ethnic border. It consists of a plain (almost everywhere above 100 m.) on average…