Pasquale Carcani

Born in Naples to Marco Carcani and Maria Angela de Matteis,[4][b] his family originated in "Gefunio, or Junonis Fano in the agro Picentinorum",[6] now known as Giffoni Valle Piana in the Principato Citra.

[5] After studying grammar and rhetoric, he began studying maths with Mario Lama, physics professor at the Regia Università di Napoli and with his brother Nicola Maria (1716–1764), a Piarist priest and director of the Collegio reale di San Carlo alle Mortelle.

[7] When Pasquale was aged 21 Domenico died and so devoted himself to jurisprudence and then politics, whilst sticking with literature, which was always his first love.

[9][10] From 1759 to 1776, he was the right-hand-man to marchese Bernardo Tanucci,[11] secretary of state to Naples' royal court during the reign of Charles III.

Tanucci appointed him to the secretariat for foreign affairs and for the royal household, involved him in the most important matters and used him for difficult and secret missions.