Francesco Maria Emanuele Gaetani (1720–1802), marquis of Villabianca, was a Sicilian nobleman and historian.
Life
Gaetani was born in Palermo, and held public office there. He was senator of the city in 1775–76. He studied and wrote about the history of Sicily. He died in Palermo in 1802.
Publications
His principal publication was Della Sicilia Nobile, published in five parts between 1754 and 1775, the last part of the appendix published posthumously in 1897.
Della Sicilia Nobile (1754-1775). Palermo: Stamperia dei Santi Apostoli per Pietro Bencivenga Part 1 (1754) archive.org Introduction, pp.I-XXIV Book 1, General Description of Sicily, pp.1-70 Book 2, Magistrates of the Kingdom, pp.71-100 Book 3, Kings of Sicily, pp.101-230 Book 4, Presidents of the Three Supreme Tribunals with Judges, pp.231-258 Index to Part 1, pp.259-292 Part 2 (1754), pp.1- books.google.com archive.org Introduction to the Baronage of the Kingdom, pp.3-12 Book 1, Baronage of the Kingdom - Princes, pp.13-210 Index of Fiefdoms, pp.211-212 Index of Families, pp.213-216 Continuation of Part 2 (1757) books.google.com Part 3 (1759) books.google.com Appendix, Volume 1 (1775) books.google.com Appendix (1897), published by Carlo Crispo Moncada and Antonino Mango, Palermo: O. Fiorenza.
Among his other works are:
Notizie storiche intorno agli antichi sette uffizi del Regno di Sicilia, published in two parts in: Opuscoli di Autori Siciliani, Palermo: Stamperia dei Santi Apostoli Part I, in volume VIII (1764) Part II, in volume XI (1770) Catalogo di tutti i parti letterarj editi, ed inediti specialmente intorno a storia sicola-palermitana, Palermo: Stamperia di d. Rosario Abbate in Piazza Bologni (1791)
His Diari della Città di Palermo, annals from 1743 to 1802, were published posthumously, as were his 48 Opuscoli palermitani on local topics.
References Villabianca, Francesco Maria Emanuele marchese di (in Italian). Enciclopedie on line. Roma: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. Accessed January 2016.