ANGELO MARIA, a learned Italian, was born at Florence on the 25th of September 1726. Having been left an orphan in his infancy, he was supported by his uncle, Joseph Bandini, a lawyer of some note. He received his education among the Jesuits, and discovered an early passion for the study of antiquities. A desire which he also manifested to distinguish himself as a poet was fortunately checked by the ill success of his first attempt; and, from that period, he devoted himself principally to literary history and archæological science. The celebrated Dr Lami, with whom he had the good fortune to contract a friendship, assisted him with his counsels, and encouraged him to persevere in that path to which his genius seems to have directed him.

In the year 1747 Bandini undertook a journey to Vienna, in company with the bishop of Volterra, to whom he acted in the capacity of secretary. He was introduced to the emperor, and took the opportunity of dedicating to that monarch his Specimen Litteratura Florentina, which was then printing at Florence. In the following year he returned by the way of Venice, Padua, Ferrara, and Bologna, and united himself in friendship with the learned men in all these cities. Having resided some time at Florence, he repaired to Rome, and entered into orders, passing the whole of his time in the library of the Vatican, and in those of the Cardinals Passionei and Corsini. At that time the famous obelisk of Augustus was disinterred from the ruins of the Campus Martius. Bandini, by the order of Benedict XIV., undertook to describe and explain this curious monument; but finding that the air of Rome was injurious to his health, he returned to Florence. In 1750 he was selected by Alexander Marucelli to take charge of the valuable library which his uncle the Abbé Francis Marucelli had left, and which, according to the will of the founder, was to be open to the public. But he had scarcely entered upon the duties of this charge when the proprietor died, after bequeathing all his effects to the library, and appointing the Abbé Bandini perpetual librarian and his testamentary executor. It required two years to liquidate the succession and to form the complete catalogue of this vast library, which was at length opened to the public in the year 1752. In 1756 he was preferred by the emperor to a prebend at Florence, and appointed principal librarian to the Laurentian library. During forty-four years he continued to discharge the duties of this situation, and died in 1800, generally esteemed and regretted. On his deathbed he founded a public school, and bequeathed the remainder of his fortune to other charitable purposes. For a list of his numerous works, see Biographie Universelle, tom. iii. (J. C.)