Alberico Gentili

Alberico Gentili was a very important lawyer and thinker. He is often called the "Father of international law." This means he helped create the rules for how different countries act together. He was born in San Ginesio, Italy, in 1552. His father, Matteo Gentili, was a doctor. Matteo also taught Alberico how to read and write in Latin and Greek.

Gentili's life changed because of his religious beliefs. He and his family were Protestants. In Italy at that time, this was not safe. The authorities wanted to remove people with these beliefs. Gentili had to leave his home in Italy. He traveled to places like Laibach and several German university towns. These places included Tübingen and Heidelberg.

In 1580, Gentili traveled to England. He arrived in London during the month of August. He soon began working at the University of Oxford. In 1581, he became a doctor of civil law there. He was the first person from outside England to hold a Regius Professorship at Oxford. This was a very high teaching job. He taught law at St John's College for many years.

Gentili wrote many books that changed how people thought about law. One of his most famous books was called De Iure Belli. This book was about the laws of war. He also wrote about Roman arms and different legal ideas. In 1584, the English government asked for his help. They wanted to know what to do about a Spanish ambassador named Bernardino de Mendoza. Gentili's advice helped lead to Mendoza being sent away from England.

Later in life, Gentili moved to London to do more practical legal work. He practiced law in the High Court of Admiralty. He married a woman named Hester de Peigne in 1589. They had a son named Robert Gentilis. Alberico Gentili died in London in 1608. Today, people still study his ideas about how nations should behave. A special statue of him stands in his hometown of San Ginesio.