Canonist and archaeologist, b. at Naples, 10 August, 1728; d. there, November, 1772. He entered the seminary of Naples in 1744, and was ordained priest in 1752. He subsequently devoted himself to the study of history, philosophy, and the Oriental languages. He became censor of books and synodal examiner for the Diocese of Naples, and wrote the notes for the Italian edition of the ecclesiastical history of the Lutheran historian, Mosheim. Appointed professor of canon law in 1764, he published "Institutionum canonicarum libri tres" (Padua, 1770) and conferences in civil law, interesting from the standpoint of contemporary Neapolitan law. Mamachi's work on Christian antiquities being unfinished, Selvaggio resolved to treat the same subject in a smaller work, but he died before finishing it. His friend, Canon Kalephati, continued the publication of the "Antiquitatum eeelesiasticarum institutiones" (6 vols., Naples, 1772-6), prefacing them with a biography of the author: "Commentarius de vita et scriptis J. L. Selvagii".

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