Monneret de Villard, Ugo

monneret de villard, ugo (1881-1954), Italian archaeologist and Orientalist. He studied engineering first, but became interested in medieval architecture and later in Oriental studies. His first visit to Egypt was for the purpose of making a study of the pharos of Alexandria. He later conducted a long series of excavations in Upper Egypt between 1921 and 1934. He was able to demonstrate that Coptic art was in the Hellenistic tradition and made a special study of the monasteries near Suhaj. Christian art in Nubia formed but one of a large number of subjects in which he was interested, covering areas as far apart as Persia and Sicily. He died in Rome.