Biografia universale antica e moderna ossia Storia per alfabeto della vita pubblica e privata di tutte le persone che si distinsero per opere, azioni, talenti, virtù e delitti. Opera affatto nuova compilata in Francia da una società di dotti ed ora per la prima volta recata in italiano con aggiunte e correzioni. Volume 1. -65.]

The Biografia universale antica e moderna was published in Venice between 1822 and 1831 by Giambattista Missiaglia. This ambitious project served as the Italian adaptation of the original French 'Biographie universelle, ancienne et moderne,' which was produced by a collective of scholars under the direction of Louis-Gabriel Michaud. The Italian translation was a monumental effort to provide a comprehensive biographical dictionary for an Italian-speaking audience, mirroring the encyclopedic spirit of the era.

The editorial team for the Italian edition integrated the original French content with specific additions and corrections intended to better serve the Italian scholarly community. By organizing the lives of historical figures alphabetically, the work aimed to capture a vast breadth of human experience, including public and private history, talents, and even notorious deeds. The resulting set remains a significant artifact of 19th-century reference publishing, reflecting the era's fascination with systematizing historical knowledge.