Ignazio De Blasi ( Alcamo, 1717-1783) was an Italian historian. He was the first scholar who wrote a history of his town providing documentary evidence on it.

Biography

Ignazio De Blasi was born in Alcamo in 1717, the son of Benedetto de Blasi, a notary, and his wife Francesca Puglisi. He was awarded the degree of Duty and Laws at the University of Catania in 1741, and on 19 April 1746 he married Angela Manfrè, who bore him a daughter, Maria Anna. He died in 1783 in Alcamo, and was buried in the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi. Wishing to publish his difficult historical research, he was admitted into the group of the Academy of the Good Taste of Alcamo in 1746.F.M. Mirabella: Memorie Biografiche Alcamesi p.179-180; Alcamo, tip. Segesta e figli, 1924 He wrote the history even as he was engaged with the administration of the municipality and of various

charities A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a cha ...

, together with his public teaching activity at the Jesuits' college.

Works

The complete work of Ignazio De Blasi is collected in a volume of 1900 pages entitled: ''Discorso storico della opulenta città di Alcamo situata a piè del Monte Bonifato, e dell'antichissima città di Longarico ossia Lacarico, dopo detta Alcamo, su di esso monte''. De Blasi examined the memories of three priests from Alcamo: Cammarata, Zappante and Cossentino; consulted all the documents of the archives of parishes, of the town archives and of the dead notaries, whose keeper was his father. So, thanks to his tireless hard work, he completed a volume containing 1900 pages. Since the dedication and introduction of the book, it is clear that the author believed that he had entirely maintained his hard commitment; actually the manuscript is an orderly collection of information, divided into 48 chapters, about the coat of arms, the mount and its neighbouring rivers, the origin, the domains, the territory, churches, nunneries, friaries and all charities, famous people, privileges and other memorable things of the town. At about 1780, De Blasi wrote the earliest known description of the archaeological site on Mount Bonifato, reporting some information about two Latin inscriptions (of doubtful origin) and an Arab coin. Even if it is full of unacceptable mistakes and assumptions, some repetitions and a poor style, it is a very important work, both for the richness of the subject and for the abundance of documents which contains, such as: privileges, taxes, customs and other old deeds taken from the Red Book and from the documents of the municipality (= court giuratoria): both of them are not existing any longer owing to the fire during the rebel movements taking place in Sicily in 1820. This work is a unique historical heritage because it is a manuscript; it is the most important and rich historical work existing about the town of Alcamo, as many sources (previously present in the civic archives) used by De Blasi, have got lost.F.M. Mirabella: Cenni degli alcamesi rinomati in lettere, arti, armi e santità; Alcamo, tip. Gaetano Surdi, 1876 In the course of time many

scholars A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher ...

and

historians A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

from Alcamo have mentioned his work, which is of primary importance because it gives a lot of information about the foundation of religious buildings and

institutions Institutions are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions a ...

, among which the Confraternities existing in Alcamo.

Manuscript

For 17 years the manuscript, nearly all autograph, remained in the heirs’ hands, that is Angela Manfrè, his widow, and the daughter but in 1800 they donated it to the town archives; in exchange for it, they received a life annuity of 20 uncias each. This decree, approved by scrupulous and grateful administrators, has both given a great and important work to the town, and a benefit to De Blasi's members of family. On 23 October 1800, by an act of public authority at the notary Giovanni Coppola, the volume, was temporarily entrusted to the representative of the municipality dottor Antonio Mangione, in order to use it in an action against the Royal

State ownership State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownershi ...

. Later it was deposited in the town archives and they had another copy written, but it has remained without the last five chapters. Today, both the authentic manuscript and the incomplete copy, are in the Civic Library

Sebastiano Bagolino Sebastiano Bagolino was a Latin poet and scholar. Biography He was born in Alcamo, in the province of Trapani, from Giovan Leonardo, a painter, and Caterina Tabone.F. M. Mirabella, Cenni degli alcamesi rinomati in scienze, lettere, arti, armi ...

; in 1875 the town council deliberated the publication of De Blasi's work at the municipality’s expense

References

Sources

*F.M. Mirabella: Cenni degli alcamesi rinomati in lettere, arti, armi e santità; Alcamo, tip. Gaetano Surdi, 1876 *F.M. Mirabella: Memorie Biografiche Alcamesi; Alcamo, tip. Segesta e figli, 1924 *Ignazio De Blasi: Discorso storico della opulenta città di Alcamo situata a piè del Monte Bonifato e dell'antichissima cittù di Longarico; trascrizione del manoscritto originale e realizzazione di Lorenzo Asta; Alcamo, 1989, II volume * *

External links