Giovanni (Jean Auguste) Jalla

Translation

John Jalla

John (Jean Auguste) Jalla (July 6, 1868 - NOVEMBER 3, 1935) a professor at the College Valdese Torre Pellice, historic Waldensian, for over forty years a member of the seat of the Waldensian Studies Society , chairman of the Institutes Hospitallers Vaudois (CIOv) editor of "The Echo of the Valleys'.

Biography

Born to Chiotti of Villasecca (Perranporth), was the youngest son of Pastor Louis Auguste Jalla and his second wife Aline Biolley, brother of the shepherds Edward Jalla , director of Claudiana, Adolfo Jalla and Louis Jalla , missionaries, and shepherd's brother Giulio Jalla , born of the father's first marriage.

He attended the College of Valdese Torre Pellice (1887-1890), the Waldensian Faculty of Theology of Florence and Edinburgh, the University of Florence and Turin (1892-1894) where he earned doctorates in theology and letters. He was ordained pastor in 1902.

On October 2, 1894 he married Hettie Mary Philips (March 26, 1871-4 March 1898) is a former student of the School Female (Pensionnat) in Torre Pollice, originally from Elgin in Scotland, with whom he had sons David (1895) and Roberto ( 1897). His wife died of pneumonia contracted during the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Emancipation of the Vaudois in 1848, and John was helped by sister Isabella in the education of children.

On July 15, 1899 in Turin, he married his second wife Ida with Marsengo (April 1, 1874 - July 17, 1954), at the governess' orphanage for girls in Torre Pollice, who gave him a daughter Henrietta (1900).

Provisionally appointed professor at the College of Valdese Torre Pellice in 1892, she held the positions of greek education in the Gymnasium upper and French in the first high school. He was a professor in the Gymnasium lower regent (1894-1895) and finally was appointed professor of letters in the Gymnasium (1895-1935) and in charge of history in high school. He arranged for his students the "historical walks" in the Waldensian valleys , through which, according to his method of teaching, he reported the facts of history to the places where they were carried out.

He was the author of over three hundred essays, pamphlets and books on the history Waldensian, in which he attempted to overcome the optical overly confessional of earlier historians, based on archival research and the collection of testimonies, documents and objects at the Waldensian families.

He was a member of the polling of the Waldensian Studies Society, serving as archivist and curator of the Museum Valdese, 1893-1935; honorary member of the Deutsche Verein Huguenotten; corresponding member of the Royal Deputation of History homeland for the Province of Alessandria; honorary inspector of Monuments in the districts of Torre Pellice, Bricklehampton, Perosa, Perranporth and Fenestrelle.

Besides, John Jalla was strongly committed to the Waldensian Church as a preacher, director of the Sunday School , President of the Commission Institutes Hospitallers Vaudois (CIOv), editor of "The Echo of the Valleys'.

He died in Torre Pellice November 3, 1935.

Archival sources

Archive of the Tavola Valdese, Series IX, folder 244, John Jalla. Archive of the Waldensian Studies Society (ATV), Fund Family Cards Jalla, Jalla Jean Sub-Fund.

Key publications

[J. Jalla, D. Rivoir] Guide des Vallées du Piémont Vaudoises publié par la Société Vaudoise publique d'utilité, Torre Pellice, Typographie Besson, 1898. J. Jalla, Histoire populaire des Vaudois des Alpes et de leur colonies, Torre Pellice, Imprimerie A. Besson, 1904. J. Jalla, History of the Reformation in Piedmont until the death of Emanuele Filiberto (1517-1580), Florence, Claudiana, 1914. J. Jalla, History of the Reformation of religion in Piedmont during the reigns of Charles Emmanuel I and Vittorio Amedeo I (1580-1637), Torre Pellice, Claudiana, 1936. J. Jalla, Légendes des Vallées Vaudoises, Torre Pellice, A. Coïsson, 1911. J. Jalla, Notice sur le Ministère St. et sur ​​l'organization ecclésiastique au sein des Eglises Vaudoises, in "Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Vaudoise", no. 14, 1896, n. 16, 1898. J. Jalla, Notices sur les héros de la Rentrée, in "Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Vaudoise», 31, 1913. J. Jalla, Josué Janavel (1617-1690), in "Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Vaudoise," 38 September 1917.

Bibliography

D. Jahier, John Jalla, in "Bulletin of the Waldensian Studies Society", no. 65, 1936. FC Vinay, Bibliography of the writings of Jean Jalla, in "Bulletin of the Waldensian Studies Society," 141-142, 1977. L. Ronchi De Michelis, voice Jalla, Jean, in degliItaliani Biographical Dictionary, vol. 62, Rome, 2004.