Studied in Pisa with E. Bertini (with whom he graduated in 1899) and L. Bianchi. After his graduation he spent one year in Torino with C. Segre. For many years he was a teacher in secondary schools. In 1909, while he still teached in a high school of Palermo , he became a member of the editorial board of the Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo . He taught geometry in Cagliari (since 1912), Parma (since 1913), Catania (since 1916), Napoli (since 1921) and Roma (since 1934).

He was also a member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and, a few months before his sudden death, had been appointed member of the Italian Senate.

Scorza was the Italian main scholar in the theory of abelian varieties and the only one to appreciate fully the strength of modern algebraic abstract methods.

Students: N. Spampinato, F. Cecioni, L. Lombardo Radice, G. Zappa.

His Collected papers have been reprinted by U.M.I. (since 1960, ed. Cremonese).

Main commemorations and studies: Severi, Ann. di Mat. pura e applicata , (4), 29, 1941, 1-20.