An ordained priest, he distinguished himself with his ability to compose verses at a very young age at Accademia Cosentina. In 1786, he wrote an essay arguing against popular beliefs related to the 1783 Calabrian earthquakes. The essay attracted fury from the ecclesiastical authorities, who however were unable to prosecute Salfi due to opposition from the Neapolitan government, particularly Minister Carlo de Marco. In 1787 he moved to Naples, where he lectured in the Humanities, came into contact with Enlightenment thinkers (Gaetano Filangieri, Mario Pagano, Antonio Jerocades, Nicola Pacifico and others), and progressively distanced himself from the Church. In 1788, when Ferdinand IV of Naples refused to pay the annual tribute of the Chinèa to the Pope, Salfi wrote a satire against the Papal States and in praise of the Neapolitan government.