Complex sentence: Milani's paternal grandfather was Domenico Comparetti, a leading nineteenth-century philologist: in his own work as an educationist, Milani gave importance to learning how to use words effectively.
Split into simpler sentences: Milani's paternal grandfather was Domenico Comparetti, a leading nineteenth-century philologist. In his own work as an educationist, Milani emphasized learning how to use words effectively.