Nationality Italian Name Cajo Gallo Died October 20, 1780 | Period 1700 Role Writer | |
Occupation genealogist, heraldic researcher, writer, historian Notable works "Gli Annali della citta di Messina capitale del Regno di Sicilia dal giorno di sua fondazione fino a tempi presenti" (The Annals of the city of Messina the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily from the day of its founding until the present times) | ||
Cajo Domenico Gallo (Messina, 28 February 1697 - Messina, October 20, 1780), was an Italian historian and writer.
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Biography
He was born in Messina in 1697. Initially he was a pupil of the jurist Francesco Castelli, but never worked as a lawyer, but his occupation was the activity of "scriptural, or both rational holder of accounts" at the Senate of Messina and on behalf of Brotherhoods some towns, as well as serving the Duke of Saponara .
It is not known where Gallo was formed in literary arts, it is certain that he was a great friend of Gian Battista Sorto one of the greatest exponents of the Academy della Clizia of Messina; Gallo was a subscribers in these academy. Even if he is not registered with the main literary academies of Messina, of " Pericolanti " and of " Accorti ', it is certain he was member in Palermo in the Academy of "Buon Gusto" and "degli Ereini", in Modena in the Academy of "dei Dissonanti" and in the Arcadi of Rome.
Strongly attached to the destiny of the city of Messina, in 1719 he fought in the battle of Francavilla of Sicily against the Austrian with the spanish]] of Felipe V.
In 1733 he married in Messina with Angela Inga , was born from the marriage Andrea Gallo (1734-1814), who later became an erudite scientist. Politically pro-Spanish and anti-German lived in near poverty until his death, and it seems that this poverty was mitigated only by the generosity of the Duchess of Saponara , which left him heir to an annuity of 24 onze.
Cajo Domenico Gallo died in Messina in 1780.
The Annals of the history of Messina
Devoted to his hometown, he imposed the difficult task of writing the history of Messina since its founding. This was his main work. "Gli Annali della citta di Messina capitale del Regno di Sicilia dal giorno di sua fondazione fino a tempi presenti" (The Annals of the city of Messina the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily from the day of its founding until the present times) is the title of the work that was achieved by drawing on archival material kept in monasteries or congregations and other local institutions.
The work of Gallo suggested the ambition to reconstruct the towns events along a very wide span of time, starting from the earliest origins to reach to contemporary events. The work was divided into four volumes, the first two were published towards the 1756 / 58 by the Senate of Messina and Flavia Eustochio De Giovanni , Duchess of Saponara , the patron of the Gallo; while the third and the fourth volume was published posthumously in 1804.
As mentioned above, the Annals not yielded big gains, so that, Andrea Gallo , the author's son, had occasion to remark that the father "campo pizzenti e pizzenti muriu" (he lived and died a miserable ). Gallo himself had this to say: "mannai la Storia a li centu diavuli / E dissi: e megghiu mi ci cuntu favuli" (I sent to hell the story, it would be better to tell novels!).
However, in 1804, the Academics "Peloritani", publishers of the fourth volume, defined the monumental work of Cajo Domenico Gallo as: " Annals are definitely an essential tool of knowledge of the history of Messina, one of those works of exceptional utilities, which, despite the prejudices, mistakes, ignorance and the passions of the times, provided all the elements to some for the formation of a true story ".