Pelorus: ancient name for the NE promontory of Sicily, opposite from the toe of Bruttium (mod. Calabria).
Pepe, Guglielmo: (b. Feb. 14, 1783 at Squillace; d. Aug. 9, 1855 at Turin). General and revolutionary leader. In 1799, at the age of 16, he joined the army of the Parthenopean Republic and was taken prisoner by the Bourbon Army. Condemned to death as a traitor his sentence was commuted to exile. Later, in 1802, he attempted to organize a conspiracy against King Ferdinand IV but was arrested and imprisoned. The arrival of the French soon afterwards led to his release and he entered the service of King Joseph Bonaparte. He fought in the French army in Spain and later returned to Italy to serve in the army of Joachim Murat. By 1815, he had risen to the rank of Lieutenant-General. After the return of the Bourbons to power he remained in the army remained devoted to his Liberal principles. Becoming a member of the Carbonari, he came to command the pro-Constitutional forces in the revolt of 1820. On July 6, 1820 he led his forces into Naples and forced King Ferdinand I to agree to accept a new constitution. Within months, however, Pepe found himself facing an Austrian invading army sent to crush the Liberal movement. His attempt to block the Austrians at Rieti resulted in defeat and he was forced to flee into exile at London. In 1848, he returned home to command the Neapolitan troops against Austria. He attempted a gallant, but hopeless, defense of Venice in 1849. After this failure he retired from the army and took up residence in Paris for a short time. In 1851 he returned to Italy, where he spent his last four years, dying in Turin in 1855.
pereko (Lat. pertica): a unit of length used by ancient Oscan people in Italy. It is believed to have been the equivalent of about 5 feet.
Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista: (b. 3 or 4 January 1710 (or 1704), in Jesi, Casoria Naples. d. 16 March 1736 or 1737, Pozzuoli). Composer. He is best known for creating church music. Educated at the De’ Poveri in Giesu Cristo conservatorio at Naples, he later was influenced by the styles of Vinci and Hasse. From 1730 to 1734, he worked at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples, mainly creating comic operas in Neapolitan dialect. After a short stay in Rome, he returned to Naples where he turned his talents towards composing church music. Poor health eventually forced him to take up residence in the cleaner environment of Torre del Greco. There he continued to compose religious music until his death.
Perrotta, Giuseppe: (b. March 19, 1843, Catania. d. Feb. 16, 1910, Catania). Operatic Composer. The son of a lawyer, he originally intended to follow a legal career, but upon graduating from law school at the age of 18, he chose to become a composer.During his career he composed 23 operas.
Persico, Mario: (b. 1892, Naples; d. 1977, Naples). Composer. He wrote several works including three operas, piano music, and vocals.
Pescara (PE): A commune and provincial capital of the province of Pescara. The city’s name derives from that of the nearby river which, in turn, comes from the Latin piscis (= “fish”).
Pescara-Penne, Archdiocese of: A Metropolitan archdiocese in the ecclesiastical region of Abruzzo-Molise.
Suffragans: Teramo-Atri
Conference Region: Abruzzo-Molise.
Area: 1,600 km²/ mi²):
Total Population: 288,207.
Total Priests: 194 (Diocesan: 133; Religious: 61)
Permanent Deacons: 16
Parishes: 126.
Pesce, Nicola (or Cola): (fl. late 14th Century). A famous Sicilian swimmer and diver. His real surname is unknown “Pesce” (= fish) being a nickname given to him because of his athletic aquatic abilities. Part of his accomplishments was the result of his ability to hold his breath for an unusually long length of time. According to one story, Emperor Frederick II tested Pesce by throwing a golden cup into the sea and commanding the athlete to dive off the heights of the Punte di Faro (the NE corner of Sicily) to retreive it. Pesce plunged into the water and, after a long underwater search, successfully retrieved the cup. The impressed Frederick rewarded him not only with the cup but also a purse full of gold. Pesce’s ego now got the better of him at, without being commanded, repeated his great dive. This time, however, his abilities failed him and Pesce never resurfaced. According to legend, Charbydis, the mythical monster whirlpool who was said to live in the waters below Punte di Faro, became angry at Pesce’s arrogance and pulled him down to his death.