Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis
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Canon Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis |
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Bust of de Solidanis at the Villa Rundle Gardens
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| Born |
Ġan Piet Franġisk Agius 30 October 1712 Rabat, Gozo, Malta |
| Died | 30 January 1770 (aged 57) |
| Resting place | Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, Valletta |
| Nationality | Maltese |
| Education | Jesuit college, Valletta University of Padua |
| Occupation | Priest · Lawyer · Librarian |
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Canon Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis (Maltese: Ġan Piet Franġisk Agius de Soldanis, 30 October 1712 – 30 January 1770), often called de Soldanis (Maltese: Sultana), was a Maltese linguist, historian and cleric from the island of Gozo. He wrote the first lexicon and systematic grammar of the Maltese language, and he was the first librarian of the Bibliotheca Publica, the precursor of the National Library of Malta.
De Soldanis was born on 30 October 1712 in Rabat, Gozo, to Andrea Hagius and Valenzia Sultana. He was baptised in the Parish Church of St. George the following day. He was born Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius, but he later added de Soldanis to his name, a Latinized version of his mother's surname Sultana, and he is now commonly known by that name.
De Soldanis was privately educated by a Capuchin friar at the convent of Our Lady of Graces. He later studied literature, philosophy, theology and law at the Jesuit college in Valletta. De Soldanis was appointed canon of the Gozo Matrice by Bishop Paul Alphéran de Bussan in 1729, and he was ordained priest six years later in 1735.
De Soldanis was interested in history, culture, archaeology and the Maltese language. He had an extensive library and a museum in his house, which contained various old coins and medals, inscriptions, pottery and statues. He wrote several manuscripts in a number of languages, including Maltese, Italian and French. He published some of his works in Rome, Naples, Venice and Avignon, but he never published anything in Malta since there was no printing press at the time.
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