As is well known, the history of Italian Indological studies begins with Gorresio’s monumental edition and translation of the Gaudiya recension of the Râmâyana (Paris 1843-70). This huge endeavour became the starting point for many younger scholars, amongst whom was Luigi Pio Tessitori. His dissertation, presented in Florence and then translated into English starts from a careful evaluation of Vâlmîki’s Râmâyana but then goes on to compare it to Tulasi Dâsa’s Râmacaritamânasa, thereby setting a benchmark for that keen interest in the mediaeval and modern phases of the Indo-Aryan languages which was to absorb the greater part of his energies.
His archaeological activities, too, were modern, and indeed, almost prophetic when one thinks of the subsequent discovery of the lost Indus valley cultures. Tessitori had a keen sense of history, which he conceived as a continuum that allows for no gaps and must be taken into consideration as a whole.
Thence came his interest for that period of India’s linguistic history which saw the shift from inflected to analytical languages. The attention is devoted to Old Western Rajasthani is, whence the modern Western Indo-Aryan languages are derived, is quite remarkable.
Perhaps, the most noteworthy part of Tessitori's work is to be seen in tracing, cataloguing, editing and translating the chronocles and poems of the bards of Rajasthan.