Alphonsus Ciacconius

Don Alphonsus [Francisco] Ciacconius (1540-1599) was a Spanish Dominican scholar in Rome. His name is also spelt as Alfonso Chacón and Ciacono. Chacón is known mainly for two of his works: Historia utriusque belli dacici a Traiano Caesaregesti (Rome, 1576), and Vitae, et res gestae pontificum romanorum et S.R.E. Cardinalium ab initio nascentis ecclesiae usque ad Clementem IX. P.O.M. Alphonsi Ciaconii Ordinis Praedicatorum & aliorum opera descriptae (Rome, 1601).

Works

An example of early tricking. Coat of arms of Cardinal Giovanni di Aragona (1456-1485), archbishop of Esztergom, from the book of Alphonsus Ciacconius titled Historia Rom. Pontificum.

Chacón was an expert on ancient Graeco-Roman and Paleo-Christian epigraphy, the Medieval paleography and manuscripts, besides the history of the papacy. He also authenticated the manuscript of the Prophecy of the Popes attributed to St. Malachy in the Vatican for Arnold de Wion (1554-?). The prophecy was first published in 1595 by the Benedictine historian de Wion as part of his book Lignum Vitæ.

Coat of arms of Cardinal Ippolito d'Este (1479–1520), Bishop of Eger from the book of Alphonsus Ciacconius, Historia Rom. Pontificum.

He named the tinctures after their Latin initials. Or (gold) was designated by A (aurum), argent (silver) or white, respectively by a (argentum), azure (blue) with c (caeruleus), gules (red) by r (rubeus), and vert (green) by v (viridis). Though the sign for sable (black) (niger) was not present in his system traditionally it was designated by the black colour itself.

See also

• tricking (heraldry)

External links

• Vitae, et res gestae pontificum romanorum et S.R.E. Cardinalium ab initio nascentis ecclesiae usque ad Clementem IX. P.O.M. Alphonsi Ciaconii Ordinis Praedicatorum & aliorum opera descriptae, volumes I, II & IV

Persondata
Name	Ciacconius, Alphonsus
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1540
Place of birth
Date of death	1599
Place of death