Alphonsus Ciacconius
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Don Alphonsus [Francisco] Ciacconius (1540-1599) was a Spanish Dominican scholar in Rome. His name is also spelt as Alfonso Chacón and Ciacono.
Chacón was an expert on ancient Graeco-Roman and Paleo-Christian epigraphy, the Medieval paleography and manuscripts, besides the history of the papacy. He also authenticated the manuscript of St. Malachy in the Vatican for Arnold de Wion (1554-?).
(The Prophecy of the Popes, attributed to St. Malachy, is a list of 112 short phrases in Latin, describing the Roman popes and concluding that the pontificate of Peter the Roman will end with the destruction of the city of Rome and the last judgment. The prophecy was first published in 1595 by the Benedictine historian Arnold de Wyon as part of his book Lignum Vitæ.)
Chacón is renowned mainly for two of his works: Historia utriusque belli dacici a Traiano Caesaregesti (Rome, 1576), and Vitae, et res gestae pontificum romanorum et S.R.E. Cardinalium ab initio nascentis ecclesiae usque ad Clementem IX. P.O.M. Alphonsi Ciaconii Ordinis Fraedicatorum & aliorum opera descriptae (Rome, 1601).
He named the tinctures after their Latin initials. Or (gold) was designated with A (aurum), argent (silver) or white, respectively with a (argentum), azure (blue) with c (cearuleus), gules (red) with r (rubeus), and vert (green) by v (viridis). Though the sign for sable (black) (niger) was not present in his system traditionally it was designated with the black colour itself.
