Joseph Cassani facts for kids

Joseph Cassani (born in 1673, died in 1750) was a Spanish historian and a Catholic priest. He was also known as Casani. He is remembered for his important writings and for helping to start a famous Spanish language academy.

Joseph Cassani: A Spanish Historian

Joseph Cassani was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1673. When he was 13 years old, in 1686, he joined the Society of Jesus. This is a religious group often called the Jesuit Order. He continued his work as a priest until at least 1745. He passed away in 1750.

Cassani was a very busy writer. He wrote many books and articles during his life.

Founding the Spanish Language Academy

One of Cassani's most important achievements was helping to create the Academia de la Lengua española. This is the Academy of the Spanish Language in Madrid. He became a member of this important academy in 1713.

Between 1726 and 1730, he helped publish a large dictionary. It was called the Diccionario de la Lengua Castellana. This dictionary had six volumes and was a big step for the Spanish language.

His Writings on America

Even though Joseph Cassani never traveled to America, he wrote a very important book about it. This book was titled Historia de la Provincia de la Compañia de Jesus del Nueva Reyno de Granada en la América. It was published in Madrid in 1741.

This book tells the history of the Jesuit Order in what is now Colombia. It is the only detailed record of the Jesuits in that region from that time. While he wrote it from Spain, it still shares valuable information about missions in the Orinoco River area. This book is very rare today.

See also

In Spanish: José Casani para niños