Joseph Allegranza

A Milanese Dominican who won distinction as a historian, archaeologist, and antiquary, b. 16 October, 1715; d. 18 December, 1785. From 1748 to 1754 he made many researches in northern and central Italy and in France. When put in charge of the Royal Library at Milan, he made a catalogue of its contents, a work which was crowned, in 1775, by the Empress Maria Theresa. His works are: "Spiegazioni e riflessioni sopra alcuni sacri monumenti antichi di Milano" (Milan, 1757); "De sepulcris christianis in aedibus sacris. — Accedunt inscriptiones sepulcrales christianae saeculo septimo antiquiores in Insubria Austriaca repertae: item Inscriptiones sepulcrales ecclesiarum atque aedium PP. Ord. Praed. Mediolani" (Milan, 1773); "De Monogrammate D. N. Jesu Christi, et usitatis ejus effingendi modis" (Milan, 1773); "Opuscoli eruditi latini ed italiani" (Cremona, 1781); "Osservazioni antiquarie, critiche e fisiche, fatte nel regno di Sicilia" (Milan, 1781).