Luigi Tosti facts for kids

Luigi Tosti (born in Naples on February 13, 1811 – died in Monte Cassino on September 24, 1897) was a Benedictine monk and a very important historian. He spent most of his life studying and writing about history, especially the history of the Church and Italy.

Luigi Tosti, a famous historian and monk.

Luigi Tosti's Early Life and Studies

Luigi Tosti's father, Count Giovanni Tosti, passed away when Luigi was young. His mother, Vittoria Corigliano, then sent him to live with his uncle. His uncle was a monk at the Monte Cassino monastery.

In 1819, Luigi became a student at the abbey. He quickly felt drawn to the life of a monk. He was sent to Rome to finish his education. In 1833, he became a priest.

Soon after, he returned to Monte Cassino. For twenty years, he taught the ideas of Thomas Aquinas, a famous philosopher.

Tosti's Work as a Historian

Around 1829, Luigi Tosti began to study history very deeply. In 1842, he published his first major work. It was called Storia della badia di Monte Cassino, which means History of the Monte Cassino Abbey.

Soon after, he wrote Storia di Bonifazio VIII. This was a history of Pope Boniface VIII. In 1848, his book Storia della Lega Lombarda (History of the Lombard League) came out. He dedicated this book to Pius IX, who was the Pope at the time. This book was very important for a group called the Neo-Guelph party. This group wanted the Pope to lead a united Italy.

Luigi Tosti worked very hard and wrote many books.

• In 1851, he published Storia di Abelardo e dei suoi tempi.
• In 1853, he wrote Storia del Concilio di Costanza (History of the Council of Constance).
• In 1856, he published Storia dell' origine dello scisma greco.
• In 1859, he wrote La Contessa Matilde e i Romani pontefici.
• In 1861, he published Prolegomeni alla storia universale della Chiesa.

Involvement in Italian Politics

Tosti was also involved in the movement to unite Italy. This movement was called the Risorgimento. Pope Pius IX supported this idea for a while.

In 1844, Tosti planned a magazine called L'Ateneo italiano. His goal was to help the Pope become the leader of the Risorgimento. However, the police in Naples stopped his idea.

Later, Tosti tried to help make peace between the Pope and the leaders of the short-lived Roman Republic. The French ambassador, Comte d'Harcourt, also supported this peace effort. But the police stopped Tosti from doing this. He was even put in prison for a short time. He was accused of being part of a group causing trouble. Pope Pius IX personally helped to get him freed. William Temple, the English ambassador, also spoke out against his imprisonment.

During this difficult time, Tosti found comfort in studying the Bible. He later wrote a book called Ricordi biblici (Biblical Memories) based on this experience.

Later Life and Efforts for Peace

Luigi Tosti was sad when new laws in the Italian Kingdom threatened to take over monasteries. He asked important friends, like the British statesman William Gladstone, for help. He managed to get special protection for Monte Cassino. He also helped other abbeys like Grottaferrata and Sacro Speco of Subiaco.

Because he was upset by these events, Tosti refused a teaching job at the University of Pisa. However, he later became an assistant archivist at the Vatican, working under Pope Leo XIII.

In 1887, Pope Leo XIII asked the Italian Government to make peace. This made Tosti feel hopeful about his country again. The Pope asked Tosti to help bring St. Paul's Basilica back to the Benedictine monks. Tosti hoped this would also lead to an official peace between the Vatican and the Italian government (the Quirinale).

However, his efforts did not succeed. There was impatience from the Prime Minister, Francesco Crispi, and distrust from French diplomats. Tosti even had to publicly take back a booklet he wrote called La conciliazione (The Reconciliation).

After this, he went back to Monte Cassino. There, he started writing Della vita di S. Benedetto (Of the Life of St Benedict). In 1896, the Pope asked the English people for help. Tosti renewed his efforts with Gladstone. He hoped to help bring different Christian churches back together.

What Luigi Tosti Wrote

• History of Pope Boniface VIII and His Times: With Notes and Documentary, translated by Eugene Joseph Donnelly, Christian Press Association Publishing Company, New York, 1911.
• Storia Della Badia Di Monte-Cassino, Volume 1, By Luigi Tosti, Volume 1, Stabilimento Poligrafico, Naples, 1843.
• La contessa Matilde e i romani pontefici by Luigi Tosti. Editor L. Pasqualucci, Rome, 1887.
• La Conciliazione by Luigi Tosti. 1887.
• Torquato Tasso e i benedettini cassinesi by Luigi Tosti. 1877.

See also

In Spanish: Luigi Tosti para niños