The Ricciardi Collection

A man of strong temperament and outstanding organizational skills, Monsignor Giuseppe Ricciardi was born in Taranto in 1839 and ordained a priest in 1864. During his apostolate, carried out in the San Pasquale penitentiary, he became strongly committed to raising the cultural awareness of the inmates; for this he received words of esteem and appreciation directly from the Deputy Prefect of Taranto: “… for a long time you have worked untiringly and unpaid to provide the prisoners with an education, and you have done this with a zeal and a charitable spirit that are above praise. This work of unparalleled charity and religious sentiment could not fail to prompt everyone’s admiration … “. He continued his studies and was appointed bishop of Nardò in 1888 where he lived out his desire to be closer to the faithful of his diocese. He contributed to the sustenance of the poor and paid particular attention to having churches built in the more remote areas and to keeping them open so that everyone could have access to them; with an innovative spirit he also supported the distinction between civil and religious competences and the removal of formalisms; he also demonstrated great sensitivity towards the cultural heritage of the Salento area, regarding which he promoted protection, conservation and restoration activities. He spent the last moments of his life again in Taranto, following his appointment by Pope Pius IX to the post of Apostolic Administrator of Castellaneta, where as a young man he had attended the seminary.