Ignazio Paternò Castello, Prince of Biscari (17221 September 1786) was an Italian polymath, antiquarian, patron of the arts, and member of the

House of Paternò A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

, a major Sicilian noble family. He lived most of his life in his native

Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

Biography

Born to a wealthy noble family, he studied under the

Theatines The Theatines, officially named the Congregation of Clerics Regular (; abbreviated CR), is a Catholic order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men founded by Archbishop Gian Pietro Carafa on 14 September 1524. Foundation The order wa ...

in Palermo. His fondness for he classical heritage and his endowment as a prince, allowed him to foster many excavations and restorations of ancient monuments in Sicily, and collected a large collection of Greco-Roman artifacts, including vases, urns, medals and coins. He helped further excavate part of the Roman theater and amphitheater at Catania. He was prolific at communicating his findings and writing to other scholars in the continent. He was granted honorary membership in the Royal Society of London, the Academy of Bordeaux, the

Accademia della Crusca The (; ), generally abbreviated as La Crusca, is a Florence-based society of scholars of Italian linguistics and philology. It is one of the most important research institutions of the Italian language, as well as the oldest Academy#Linguisti ...

and of the Georgofili of Florence, of the Arcadi of Rome, as well as academies in Naples, Palermo, and in his home of Catania. He employed the architect Francesco Battaglia to refurbish his

Palazzo Biscari The Palazzo Paternò Castello di Biscari is a monumental private palace, still owned by a branch of the House of Paternò, located on Via Museo Biscari in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. The highly decorative interiors are open for guided tours, a ...

in Catania. This palace once held many of his collections, but they are now housed in the

Museo Civico Castello Ursino Castello Ursino (), also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known for its role in the Sicilian Vespers, wh ...

. He patronized the construction of a bridge in

Aragona Aragona ( or ''Raona'') is a commune in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, southern Italy. It is northeast of Agrigento. It is known mainly for the Macalube natural reserve and for being the Italian municipality with the highest emigration rat ...

Works

*''Viaggio per tutte le antichità di Sicilia'' (1781) *''Descrizione del terribile tremuoto del 5 febbraio 1783'' *''Ragionamento sopra gli antichi ornamenti e trastulli de' bambini'' *''Memoria al senato di Catania, relativamente al molo da costruirsi nella marina di quella citta'' (1771) *''Discorso accademico sopra un'antica Iscrizione trovata nel teatro di Catania''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paternò Castello Ignzaio 1722 births 1786 deaths Italian antiquarians 18th-century Italian writers 18th-century Italian male writers People from Sicily Writers from the Kingdom of Sicily