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Niccolò Orlandini

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Niccolò Orlandini
Born 10 April 1553
Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Died 17 May 1606
Rome, Papal States
Education Pontifical Gregorian University
Occupation historian

Niccolò Orlandini (April 10, 1553 – May 17, 1606) was an Italian Jesuit author.

Biography

He was born at Florence in 1553.

He entered the Jesuit novitiate in November 7, 1572, became rector of the Jesuit college at Nola and was master of novices at Naples for five years.

He was finally appointed secretary of the Jesuit general Claudio Acquaviva, who in 1558 detailed him to write the history of the Jesuit Order, his master piece.

He died in Rome in 1606.

Works

His history of the Jesuit Order comprises only the generalate of St. Ignatius. It was edited by Sacchini, and appeared under the title Historiæ Societatis Jesu prima pars (Rome, 1614, 1615, 1621; Antwerp, 1620; Cologne, 1620). It is written in the form of annals and based chiefly on a life written by the saint's secretary, de Polanco.

It was continued by Francesco Sacchini, Petrus Possinus, Joseph de Jouvancy and Giulio Cesare Cordara. The sixth and last part, reaching to 1633, was published at Rome in 1758.

Other works are:

  • Annuæ litteræ Societatis Jesu, anni 1583-85 (1585–1588)
  • Vita Petri Fabri (1617); the same also appeared under the title Forma sacerdotis Apostolici, expressa in exemplo Petri Fabri (1647)
  • Tractatus seu Commentarii in Summarium Constitutionum et in regulas communes (1876)

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Niccolò Orlandini — Born at Florence, 1554; died 1606 at Rome, 17 May. He entered the Jesuit novitiate 7 Nov., 1572; became rector of the Jesuit college at Nola; was master of novices at Naples for five years; and finally appointed secretary of the general Acquaviva, who in 1558 detailed him to write the history of the Jesuit Order. This work comprises only the generalate of St. Ignatius. It was edited by Sacchini, and appeared under the title "Historiæ Societatis Jesu prima pars" (Rome, 1614, 1615, 1621; Antwerp, 1620; Cologne, 1620). It is written in the form of annals, and is based chiefly on a life written by the saint's secretary, de Polanco. Ranke, "Hist. Of the Popes", III (London, 1903), 328, says of Orlandini: "In his style of writing, as well as in the business of life, he was exceedingly careful, accurate, and wary". The history was continued by Sacchini, Possinus, Jouvancy, and Cordara. The sixth and last part, reaching to 1633, was published at Rome in 1758. Other works are: "Annuæ litteræ Societatis Jesu, anni 1583-85" (Rome, 1585-86-88); "Vita Petri Fabri" (Lyons, 1617); the same under the title "Forma sacerdotis Apostolici, expressa in exemplo Petri Fabri" (Dillingen, 1647); and "Tractatus seu Commentarii in Summarium Constitutionum et in regulas communes" ed. Soero (Roehampton, 1876). His "Vita Petri Fabri" has been translated into French (Bordeaux, 1617) and Italian (Rome, 1629).

Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la C. de J., V (Brussels and Paris, 1894), 1934-35; Sacchini in introduction to Historiæ Societatis Jesu prima pars, mentioned above.

Bibliography