Studi : Flaminio Mancaleoni professore e rettore dell'Università di Sassari

Abstract

Born in 1867 at Sassari, Flaminio Mancaleoni graduated in law in 1890 and began his academic career immediately thereafter, becoming new full professor of Roman law at the University of Cagliari in 1901 after winning an open examination for the position. He never actually taught however at Cagliari since at about the same time he won a second examination, in the same discipline, at the University of Macerata, being then called up to teach at the faculty of law at the University of Parma. In November 1902 however Mancaleoni, complete with his rich network of Roman law colleagues from other universities, went back to Sassari, this time to take up a chair in Roman law and become full-time professor. Throughout this period his research focused on the Digesto . In 1907-08 he gave the inaugural speech opening the academic year at Sassari entitled Roma primitiva nella letteratura storica (Ancient Rome in historical literature). Professor, and then dean, of Roman Law, he became rector of the University from 1916 to 1918-19. In 1920, at the insistence of the teacher Carlo Fadda, he moved to Naples University, but then soon got himself transferred back to Sassari in January 1921. It was here that he spent the final part of his career, retaining a dignified anti-fascist stance (he never enrolled in the Fascist National Party) which in 1937, when he retired, cost him the nomination as emeritus professor (a title that would be granted him in 1944 after the fall of the fascist regime). A serious scholar, recognized at the turn of the century for his innovative philological work, Mancaleoni embodied the hidden virtues of that class of professor at small Italian universities who not only had a passion for research work and digging through the sources but who at the same time were prepared to give their time generously for the benefit of the community. The book traces the history of Mancaleoni by drawing on first-hand sources such as documents held at the historical archives of the University and personal papers.