Clemente Peani also known as Clemens Peanius and Clemens di Gesù, was a member of Congregatio de Propaganda Fide who was involved in the preparation of Alphabetum grandonico-malabaricum sive samscrudonicum

Alphabetum grandonico-malabaricum sive samscrudonicum

Alphabetum grandonico-malabaricum sive samscrudonicum is a book on the grammar of the South Indian Malayalam language, published in 1772 at the printing press of the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide in Rome. It is believed to be the first book on Malayalam printed in Europe...

, published in 1772 by the congregation's press. Clemente spent several years in Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 where he devoted himself to mission work and a study of Malayalam, a Dravidian language

Dravidian languages

The Dravidian language family includes approximately 85 genetically related languages, spoken by about 217 million people. They are mainly spoken in southern India and parts of eastern and central India as well as in northeastern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, and...

. During a visit to Rome he cut and engraved a set of Malayalam types for the press.