Giovanni Francesco Fara, the son of a
solicitor, was born into one of the most illustrious families in
Sassari. His early studies were done in Sardinia, and then moved to
Italy where he studied law and philosophy at the
Collegio di Spagna, an institution for the Spanish students in the city of
Bologna; he also attended the lectures of the jurist
Camillo Porzio. He collected information for his writings in
Pisa,
Florence,
Bologna and
Rome. He was appointed
Archpriest of the Cathedral of Sassari on December 6, 1568. Fara is considered the "father of Sardinian historiography". ==Works==