short biography

He was born in Messina on 21 April, 1658. Youth of a noble family, he got the degree in law in 1685 and after an important and rich career as a lawyer, he was elected Abbé of Santa Maria Terrana (Caltagirone).

During the Savoy monarchy (1713 – 1718), he was a promoter of social and economic reforms and in 1714, he drew up the first volume of the compilation of regulations and laws for the reign ordered by king Vittorio Amedeo.

In 1716, he dealt with the reprint of “Sicanicarum rerum compendium”, a Maurolico’s work, adding the events of Sicily history till 1714 and some Prolegomena.

He entitled the Academy founded in 1718 together with Giovan Battista Caruso and Girolamo Settimo, Accademia del buon gusto (as a tribute to Muratori), at Palazzo Filangeri in Palermo.

The inspiring principles of his work, Oratio ad Siculos, dealt with the true eloquence and good philosophy, aiming to the research of the truth.

During the Spanish Restoration (1718 - 1720) he had to suspend his activity to start again during the Austrian government on behalf of commercial and productive classes.

Giacomo Longo was a supporter of the Sicilian courts’ innovation, so that he planned, together with Caruso and Agostino Pantò, an Academy for the law studies development.

In 1734 he was appointed judge of the supreme Regia Monarchica Court and, afterwards, president of Concistoro of Sacra Regia Coscienza Court.

He died in 1736 and his personal library was donated, of his own will, to the city of Messina, which became the first Sicilian city to have a public Library.

Among his manuscripts we can find a rich collection of his legal productions: “allegationum volumina XXII in quibus uti causarum patronus pro clientibus declamavit”.

Giacomo Longo’s interests and works ranged over many fields : juridical, literary, theological and philosophical.

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