Tommaso Fazello

Tommaso Fazello (New Latin Fazellus, 1498 – 8 April 1570) was an Italian Dominican friar, historian and antiquarian. He is known as the father of Sicilian history. He is the author of the first printed history of Sicily: De Rebus Siculis Decades Duae, published in Palermo in 1558 in Latin.^[1][2] He was born in Sciacca, Sicily^[3] and died in Palermo, Sicily.^[4]

He rediscovered the ruins of the ancient Sicilian towns of Akrai (modern Palazzolo Acreide), Selinus (modern Selinunte) and Heraclea Minoa. He also rediscovered the Temple of Olympian Zeus at Akragas (modern Agrigento).^[5][6]

In 1555, he taught at the Convent of St. Dominic of Palermo, which later became the University of Palermo.^[7]

References

1. ..Also on display will be a rare first edition of the first printed history of Sicily. Written in Latin by Tommaso Fazello, this folio-sized volume, “De Rebus Siculis Decades Duae,” was published in Palermo in 1558. Fazello’s history was recently purchased for the Valente Family Collection.., "An Evening Dedicated To Sicily - The Gem Of The Mediterranean Sea" September 25, 2006, Accent Public Relations
2. (Page 409, Chief Historians - Historians of Sicily.), Thomas Fazelli De Rebus Siculis Decades due, in fol.Panormi 1558. This valuable Author may be found in the Italian Illustrata; was translated into Italian by Remigio Fiorentino, in quarto Ven 1574, and in Folio, Palermo 1628, which last Edition is much enlarged with several Historical Facts by Martin Lafarina. ,A New Method of Studying History, Geography, and Chronology: With a Catalogue of the Chief Historians of All Nations, the Best Editions of Their Works, and Characters of Them, Nicolas Lenglet Dufresnoy Authors: Nicolas Lenglet Dufresnoy, Richard Rawlinson, Publisher Printed for C. Davis, 1730
3. (Italian) Scheda di Tommaso Fazello, Chi era Costui (Statue of Tommaso Fazello in Sciacca, Sicily)
4. (Italian) Chi è Tommaso Fazello, Istituto di Istruzione Superiore T.Fazello
5. "Palazzolo Acreide", Only by the end of the '500, thanks to the studies of Tommaso Fazello, the ancient site of Akrai was identified.
6. The works of Dominican Tommaso Fazello — SIMUV
7. In 1555 the commune also engaged Dominican professors of philosophy, including the historian Fazello., "University of Palermo", Catholic Encyclopedia

External links

• Storia di Sicilia, Deche due, Tommaso Fazello, - Internet Archive
• Storia di Sicilia, Deche due: Tradotte in Lingua Toscana (1830), Tommaso Fazello, G. Bertini - Internet Archive
• An online copy of "De Rebus Siculis (Historia di Sicilia) with other ancient books, photographically scanned by The Freaknet Medialab.