Ambrogio, an Augustinian monk, born at Bergamo in 1435, was descended of an old family of Calepio, whence he took his name. He devoted his whole life to the composition of a polyglott dictionary, first printed at Reggio in 1502. This gigantic work was afterwards augmented by Passerat and others. The most complete edition, published at Basle in 1590, comprises no fewer than eleven languages. Calepino died blind in 1511.