Born in Naples, he studied literature under the
Jesuits as a child before switching to law. In 1663 he,
Francesco D'Andrea and others formed the
Accademia degli Investiganti, which gave added impetus to the cultural renewal of southern Italy in the last decades of the 17th century. Its members like Valletta, D'Andrea,
Tommaso Cornelio and
Leonardo Di Capua actively supported the progressives in the heated philosophical-scientific debates of the time between progressives and conservatives. In 1681 he paid to found a chair in ancient Greek at the
University of Naples, putting his own tutor and friend
Gregorio Messere in charge of teaching. His nephew
Francesco also became a scholar. In 1687 he edited the Naples edition of
Francesco Redi's
Bacco in Toscana as well as Redi's complete works. He gathered a library of 18,000 books which became known as the
Helluo librorum et Secli Peireskius alter. After Valletta's death in Naples,
Giambattista Vico's efforts ensured that the library was merged into the
Biblioteca dei Girolamini. == Works ==