Angelo Rocca

Angelo Rocca

Founder of the Angelica Library at Rome, b. at Rocca, now Arecevia, near Ancone, 1545; d. at Rome, 8 April, 1620. He was received at the age of seven into the Augustinian monastery at Camerino (hence also called Camers, Camerinus), studied at Perugia, Rome, Venice, and in 1577 graduated as doctor in theology from Padua. He became secretary to the superior-general of the Augustinians in 1579, was placed at the head of the Vatican printing-office in 1585, and entrusted with the superintendence of the projected editions of the Bible and the writings of the Fathers. In 1595 he was appointed sacristan in the papal chapel, and in 1605 became titular Bishop of Tagaste in Numidia. The public library of the Augustinians at Rome, formally established 23 October, 1614, perpetuated his name. It is mainly to his efforts that we owe the edition of the Vulgate published during the pontificate of Clement VIII. He also edited the works of Egidio Colonna (Venice, 1581), of Augustinus Triumphus (Rome, 1582), and wrote: "Bibliothecæ theologicæ et scripturalis epitome" (Rome, 1594); "De Sacrosancto Christi corpore romanis pontificibus iter conficientibus præferendo commentarius" (Rome, 1599); "De canonizatione sanctorum commentarius" (Rome, 1601), "De campanis" (Rome, 1612). An incomplete collection of his works was published in 1719 and 1745 at Rome: "Thesaurus pontificiarum sacrarumque antiquitatum necnon rituum praxium et cæremoniarium".

OSSINGER, Bibl. August (Ingolstadt, 1768), 754-64; CHALMERS, Gen. Biol. Dict., s. v.

N.A. WEBER