Agostino Antonio Giorgi

Agostino Antonio Giorgi (10 May 1711 – 4 May 1797) was an Italian Augustinian monk and scholar who produced the first description of the Tibetan language in Europe, the Alphabetum Tibetanum.

He worked in the Bibliotheca Angelica in Vatican with the support of Pope Benedict XIV and published several catalogues.

Giorgi was born Francesco Maria to Antonio (1685–1723) and Antonia Semprini (1687–1767) in San Mauro di Romagna.

In 1740, the newly appointed Pope Benedict wanted him in Rome as the chair of sacred writings at the Archiginnasio della Sapienza.

In 1759 he published Alphabetum Tibetanum which introduced the alphabet, grammar and syntax of the Tibetan language.

Cover of Alphabetum Tibetanum