Giovanni Spano

Giovanni Spano (born Ploaghe, Sardinia, 3 March 1803; died Cagliari, Sardinia, 3 April 1878) was a priest, linguist, and one of the first archaeologists to study the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.

After finishing elementary school where he learned Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, and Sardinian, he went to a Sassari seminary. In 1825, he earned a degree in theology. He became a priest in 1830 and later the director of the Cagliari Athenaeum in 1854. In 1871, he was named senator of the Kingdom of Italy and a professor in Turin.

Spano wrote many important books, including a book about the Sardinian language and a dictionary linking Sardinian and Italian. He also wrote about the history and archaeology of Sardinia. When he died in 1878, words honoring his love for his country and his hard work were placed on his tomb at Bonaria. Today, a scientific college in Sassari is named after him.