- History of Geology, History of Medicine, Natural Sciences, Digital Humanities, Early Modern History, Diluvialism, and 37 moreHydrogeology, Hydrology, Microscopy, Speleology, Antonio Vallisneri, History, Philosophy, Cultural History, European History, Science Communication, Intellectual History, History of Religion, Renaissance Studies, Environmental History, History of Science and Technology, Early Modern Italy, Philosophy of Biology, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Philosophy of Science, Social History, History of Philosophy, Early Modern Europe, Science and Religion, History of Biology, LaTeX, Science and Technology Studies, Computer Networks, Databases, Software, Textual Criticism, Ecdotics, History of Science, Material Culture Studies, Material Culture, Anthropocene, Anthropocene studies, and Geographyedit
- My research focuses on the Earth and environmental sciences, natural philosophy, and medicine in early modern Europe,... moreMy research focuses on the Earth and environmental sciences, natural philosophy, and medicine in early modern Europe, with important forays into modern and contemporary contexts.
I am Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow at Ca' Foscari University of Venice (partner institution: Johns Hopkins University). My project SOUNDEPTH aims to understand how the debate on mineral generation in early modern Europe influenced the development of natural philosophy, the Earth sciences, and the role of humans as geological and environmental agents.
I am Contributing Editor for the Isis Current Bibliography of the History of Science. I believe in the Digital Humanities and Open Access ideals of accessibility and democratization of knowledge: I strive to make my work accessible to a virtually unlimited audience of students, scholars and academics, as well as to the general public.
I believe in freedom of expression and dissent (yes, even in academia).edit
In the 19th century, a unique combination of scientific, social, political and cultural factors attracted crowds of visitors from all over the world to the Dolomite Mountains. This phenomenon had its epicenter in Fiemme Valley and in the... more
In the 19th century, a unique combination of scientific, social, political and cultural factors attracted crowds of visitors from all over the world to the Dolomite Mountains. This phenomenon had its epicenter in Fiemme Valley and in the town of Predazzo, where Michele Giacomelli and his family hosted a great number of these travelers in their hotel: the Nave d’Oro.
This book features a critical edition of the first manuscript volume of the guestbook of the hotel, the Memoriale (1820–1875): a document where countless characters intertwined their lives, jobs, works, and passions. A stratification of social and cultural contexts, languages and events which make this manuscript a precious source for understanding a crucial chapter in Italian and European history.
This book features a critical edition of the first manuscript volume of the guestbook of the hotel, the Memoriale (1820–1875): a document where countless characters intertwined their lives, jobs, works, and passions. A stratification of social and cultural contexts, languages and events which make this manuscript a precious source for understanding a crucial chapter in Italian and European history.
Research Interests: European History, Earth Sciences, Geology, Romanticism, Ecdotics, and 14 moreAlpine history, Italy (History), 18th & 19th Centuries, Literature And Science, 19th Century (History), Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mountaineering, Dolomites, Arts and Sciences, Austria-Hungary, Critical edition, Alpine Region, Sciences and Politics, and History of the Alps
(An Edition Open Access book. Here is the link to the official webpage: http://www.edition-open-sources.org/sources/9/index.html) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In the summer of 1704, Antonio... more
(An Edition Open Access book. Here is the link to the official webpage:
http://www.edition-open-sources.org/sources/9/index.html)
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In the summer of 1704, Antonio Vallisneri (1661–1730), the preeminent Italian physician and natural philosopher of his time, traveled with a “daring soul” and “trembling feet” across the “silent horrors” of the northern Apennines: down the hills south of Reggio Emilia to northern Tuscany and the western edge of his native land, the Province of Garfagnana. He then wrote a report of this adventure, the Primi Itineris per Montes Specimen Physico-Medicum (“Physico-medical example of a first journey through the mountains), and sent it to the Royal Society of London, hoping for its publication in Philosophical Transactions. Unfortunately this did not happen and the manuscript disappeared from sight. The original draft, however, survived in the State Archive of the Italian city of Reggio Emilia where it was found in 2009.
With its exceptional array of geological, medical, geographical, technical, ethnographic, and historical data, the Primi Itineris Specimen is one of the earliest and most well-documented attempts to define a systematic approach to field research. Its frantically reworked pages and anxious marginal notes offer a new and precious opportunity to understand why and how experimental data and theories in the early modern period interacted and shaped the development of many crucial debates. These include the discovering of deep-time, the comprehension of geological phenomena (such as the hydrologic cycle and the origin of mountains and fossils), the perception of man’s place in nature, the constant search for new therapeutics, the tormented and charming relation between science and religion.
http://www.edition-open-sources.org/sources/9/index.html)
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In the summer of 1704, Antonio Vallisneri (1661–1730), the preeminent Italian physician and natural philosopher of his time, traveled with a “daring soul” and “trembling feet” across the “silent horrors” of the northern Apennines: down the hills south of Reggio Emilia to northern Tuscany and the western edge of his native land, the Province of Garfagnana. He then wrote a report of this adventure, the Primi Itineris per Montes Specimen Physico-Medicum (“Physico-medical example of a first journey through the mountains), and sent it to the Royal Society of London, hoping for its publication in Philosophical Transactions. Unfortunately this did not happen and the manuscript disappeared from sight. The original draft, however, survived in the State Archive of the Italian city of Reggio Emilia where it was found in 2009.
With its exceptional array of geological, medical, geographical, technical, ethnographic, and historical data, the Primi Itineris Specimen is one of the earliest and most well-documented attempts to define a systematic approach to field research. Its frantically reworked pages and anxious marginal notes offer a new and precious opportunity to understand why and how experimental data and theories in the early modern period interacted and shaped the development of many crucial debates. These include the discovering of deep-time, the comprehension of geological phenomena (such as the hydrologic cycle and the origin of mountains and fossils), the perception of man’s place in nature, the constant search for new therapeutics, the tormented and charming relation between science and religion.
Research Interests: Philology, Geography, Cartography, Hydrogeology, Paleontology, and 53 moreAnthropology, Folklore, Philosophy of Science, 17th Century & Early Modern Philosophy, Stratigraphy, Digital Humanities, Early Modern History, Natural Resources, History of Medicine, Material Culture Studies, Open Access, Environmental History, History of Science, Textual Criticism, Ecdotics, Alchemy, XVIII century, Early Modern Europe, Science and Religion, Open Source/Open Access and Libraries, 17th-Century Studies, Natural History, 18th Century Philosophy, René Descartes, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Early Modern Italy, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Mining, Republic of Letters (Early Modern History), 18th Century, Open Source and Free Software Studies, Speleology, Water Management, LaTeX, Manuscripts, Critical Edition (Early Modern History), Exploration, Anthropocene, Natural Sciences, Northern Apennines, Garfagnana, Field Research, Antonio Vallisneri, Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Archeology and Speleology, Royal Society, Philosophy and history of science, Johann Jakob Scheuchzer, Hans Sloane, Archeology, Bernardino Ramazzini, and Louis Bourguet
This book focuses on the studies performed by Antonio Vallisneri in the field of the Earth sciences, also examining the impact that those investigations had on the European Republic of Letters. Relying on both scientific and historical... more
This book focuses on the studies performed by Antonio Vallisneri in the field of the Earth sciences, also examining the impact that those investigations had on the European Republic of Letters.
Relying on both scientific and historical methods, the author analyzes Vallisneri’s field research and theories: these concerned several crucial topics such as the genesis of mountains and fountains, the debate on the origin of fossils, and the discovery of deep-time.
Relying on both scientific and historical methods, the author analyzes Vallisneri’s field research and theories: these concerned several crucial topics such as the genesis of mountains and fountains, the debate on the origin of fossils, and the discovery of deep-time.
Research Interests: Early Modern History, History of Paleontology, History of Medicine, History of Science, Science and Religion, and 20 moreRobert Hooke, History of Geology, Geochronology, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Anthropocene studies, Anthropocene, Diluvialism, Antonio Vallisneri, Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, History of Hydraulics, History of Philosophy, Diacinto Cestoni, Johann Jakob Scheuchzer, Nicolaus Steno, Bernardino Ramazzini, Louis Bourguet, Thomas Burnet, John Woodward, William Whiston, and Agostino Scilla
"Chymist, never mechanic. The work of Martino Poli between medicine, natural philosophy and alchemical practice." This paper focuses on Martino Poli (1662-1714), a chymist and apothecary from Lucca who in his treatise of 1706 "Il trionfo... more
"Chymist, never mechanic. The work of Martino Poli between medicine, natural philosophy and alchemical practice."
This paper focuses on Martino Poli (1662-1714), a chymist and apothecary from Lucca who in his treatise of 1706 "Il trionfo degli acidi" (“The Triumph of Acids”) launched a sharp attack against the mechanist-corpuscularian theories adopted by many Italian physicians and natural philosophers of the time. As both a proud empiricist and a supporter of Spagyric medicine, the author criticized the corpuscular model (and the many moderns who upheld it) for not standing the test of practice. Poli’s case study offers an opportunity to shed more light on two important aspects of early modern science: the persistence of Neoplatonic and Hermetic knowledge well into the XVIII century, and the actual role played by these traditions in the evolution of the medical and natural philosophical debate.
This paper focuses on Martino Poli (1662-1714), a chymist and apothecary from Lucca who in his treatise of 1706 "Il trionfo degli acidi" (“The Triumph of Acids”) launched a sharp attack against the mechanist-corpuscularian theories adopted by many Italian physicians and natural philosophers of the time. As both a proud empiricist and a supporter of Spagyric medicine, the author criticized the corpuscular model (and the many moderns who upheld it) for not standing the test of practice. Poli’s case study offers an opportunity to shed more light on two important aspects of early modern science: the persistence of Neoplatonic and Hermetic knowledge well into the XVIII century, and the actual role played by these traditions in the evolution of the medical and natural philosophical debate.
Research Interests:
The early modern use of vegetal terms to explain the origin and growth of ores was widespread in mining industry, alchemy, and natural philosophy. In the writings of authors from many different backgrounds, mineral veins were often... more
The early modern use of vegetal terms to explain the origin and growth of ores was widespread in mining industry, alchemy, and natural philosophy. In the writings of authors from many different backgrounds, mineral veins were often described as ‘trees’ which moved upwards, bore fruits, and underwent a life cycle. Accordingly, the existence in ores of ‘seeds’ (and, therefore, of a (re)generative power) was frequently invoked to explain the apparent similarities between minerals and plants. This method of describing mineral processes—called here the botanical model—also had a lasting terminological influence, as is attested by various expressions that are still common among miners and scientists. The notions underlying these terms are part of a larger body of ‘organic interpretations’ of mineral resources that endured into the eighteenth century and contributed to the development of the Earth sciences, mining industry, and the human–environment relationship. In focusing mainly on the rise of the botanical model in Renaissance Europe, this essay is the first part of a more extensive study (to be completed in a forthcoming paper) on the evolution of this important concept and its interaction with the new science throughout the early modern period.
Research Interests:
The genesis and growth of minerals, as well as the existence in ore veins of such organic features as 'seeds', 'matrices', and 'nourishment', remained central and recurrent issues for natural philosophers, technicians, alchemists and... more
The genesis and growth of minerals, as well as the existence in ore veins of such organic features as 'seeds', 'matrices', and 'nourishment', remained central and recurrent issues for natural philosophers, technicians, alchemists and practitioners throughout early modern Europe. By providing an overview of the main themes, voices, and concurrent factors (scientific, philosophical, economic, political, cultural, geographical, religious, social) that shaped the evolution of such long-standing dispute, this essay attempts a preliminary analysis of how the early modern understanding of mineral generation influenced our perception of natural exploitability, renewability and exhaustibility-and, more generally, the development of the Earth sciences and the emergence of humans as geological and environmental agents. These issues are also the subject of a new interdisciplinary project which is introduced in the final part of the article and which, hopefully, will be implemented in the next years with the aim to disclose new insights into our comprehension of the human-environment system.
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Italian translation of F. Luzzini, "Bibliographical Distortions, Distortive Habits: Contextualizing Italian Publications in the History of Science" (Isis, Vol. 109, n. S1, 2019, pp. 3-13). With a foreword by Dario Generali and Fabio... more
Italian translation of F. Luzzini, "Bibliographical Distortions, Distortive Habits: Contextualizing Italian Publications in the History of Science" (Isis, Vol. 109, n. S1, 2019, pp. 3-13). With a foreword by Dario Generali and Fabio Minazzi. ----- Traduzione italiana di F. Luzzini, "Bibliographical Distortions, Distortive Habits: Contextualizing Italian Publications in the History of Science" (Isis, Vol. 109, n. S1, 2019, pp. 3-13). Con una premessa di Dario Generali e Fabio Minazzi.
Research Interests: History, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Interdisciplinarity, Bibliometrics, and 14 moreBibliography, History of Science, History of Scholarship, Pragmatism (Philosophy), Research evaluation, 20th Century, Academic Ranking, Academic Publishing, Italy, Corruption, University, Academic Recruitment, Nepotism, and Cronyism
On scholarly traditions, quantitative assessments, and academic malpractices in Italy - and how someone disagreed.
Research Interests: History, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Bibliometrics, Bibliography, and 15 moreHistory of Science, Textual Criticism, Research evaluation, Bibliographic Research, Academic Ranking, Academic Publishing, Italy, Corruption, University, Debates, Academic Recruitment, Journal Ranking, Nepotism, Cronyism, and ANVUR
On scholarly traditions, quantitative assessments, and academic malpractices in Italy - and how these factors affect Italian scholarship in the history of science.
Research Interests: History, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Pragmatism, Digital Humanities, and 15 moreInterdisciplinarity, Idealism, Bibliometrics, Bibliography, History of Science, Textual Criticism, History of Scholarship, Research evaluation, Academic Ranking, Academic Publishing, Italy, Corruption, University, Nepotism, and Cronyism
«Physis», Rivista Internazionale di Storia della Scienza, Volume LI, n. 1-2, 2016 (2017), pp. 129-140. This paper resumes and extends a previous study published in 2012 on the role played by the Earth sciences in the «Giornale de’... more
«Physis», Rivista Internazionale di Storia della Scienza, Volume LI, n. 1-2, 2016 (2017), pp. 129-140.
This paper resumes and extends a previous study published in 2012 on
the role played by the Earth sciences in the «Giornale de’ Letterati d’Italia», and on the
many different cultural, social, philosophical, academic, political, religious, and scientific
factors which influenced the editorial policies of this journal, whose pages focused more
on certain topics – and authors – rather than others. By examining a few, selected case
studies, an analysis is provided of the troubled process linking scientific research and publications
in early modern Italy, and of the intricate background underlying the development
of the newborn Earth sciences during the first decades of the XVIII century.
This paper resumes and extends a previous study published in 2012 on
the role played by the Earth sciences in the «Giornale de’ Letterati d’Italia», and on the
many different cultural, social, philosophical, academic, political, religious, and scientific
factors which influenced the editorial policies of this journal, whose pages focused more
on certain topics – and authors – rather than others. By examining a few, selected case
studies, an analysis is provided of the troubled process linking scientific research and publications
in early modern Italy, and of the intricate background underlying the development
of the newborn Earth sciences during the first decades of the XVIII century.
Research Interests:
Since its first attempts to understand natural phenomena, early modern science devoted great attention to the problematic issue of the origin of springs. This essay examines the lively debate that emerged from the studies on fresh water... more
Since its first attempts to understand natural phenomena, early modern science devoted great attention to the problematic issue of the origin of springs. This essay examines the lively debate that emerged from the studies on fresh water during the years spanning from the mid-sixteenth century to the early eighteenth. By focusing on the interpretations advanced by several authors (including lesser known, but nonetheless important figures such as Mario Bettini, Edward Barlow, and Diacinto Cestoni), and by introducing Antonio Vallisneri’s Primi itineris specimen, an unpublished manuscript which reveals significant insights into the hydrogeological debate, a new analysis is provided of the heterogeneous factors which influenced the path of natural philosophy towards the comprehension of the water cycle. The conclusion suggests how a reconsideration of the intricate backgrounds underlying many scientific debates and concepts could play a critical role in solving a still controversial issue: science’s need for a history of science.
Research Interests: Hydrogeology, Philosophy, Early Modern History, History of Science, Science and Religion, and 14 moreRobert Hooke, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Republic of Letters (Early Modern History), Anthropocene studies, Water Cycle, Anthropocene, Athanasius Kircher, Pierre Perrault, Antonio Vallisneri, Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Bernard Palissy, Edmond Halley, and Edme Mariotte
In 1687, after he graduated in Medicine, young Antonio Vallisneri returned in the Duchy of Modena and Reggio. In those years he mainly served as general practitioner; nevertheless, he also devoted many studies to various aspects of the... more
In 1687, after he graduated in Medicine, young Antonio Vallisneri returned in the Duchy of Modena and Reggio. In those years he mainly served as general practitioner; nevertheless, he also devoted many studies to various aspects of the natural sciences. He performed many observations, accurately reporting them in seven Quaderni, which were compiled between 1694 and 1701.
Though the Earth sciences occupy only a small part of these diaries, the accuracy of the notes makes them a precious token of the scientific praxis adopted by the author in this field of study. This paper deals with the analysis of these early geological reports, pointing out the main criteria of Vallisneri's experimental method and paying attention to the great significance which these documents had in the elaboration of some of his published works.
Though the Earth sciences occupy only a small part of these diaries, the accuracy of the notes makes them a precious token of the scientific praxis adopted by the author in this field of study. This paper deals with the analysis of these early geological reports, pointing out the main criteria of Vallisneri's experimental method and paying attention to the great significance which these documents had in the elaboration of some of his published works.
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In: Sine ira et studio: Metodo e impegno civile per una razionalità illuministica. Scritti offerti a Dario Generali, ed. F. Luzzini, Milan, Mimesis, pp. 229-246. This contribution examines some methodological and epistemological issues... more
In: Sine ira et studio: Metodo e impegno civile per una razionalità illuministica. Scritti offerti a Dario Generali, ed. F. Luzzini, Milan, Mimesis, pp. 229-246.
This contribution examines some methodological and epistemological issues relating to ecdotics, digital humanities and, more generally, the interdisciplinary approach in historical-scientific research. The paper also discusses how these research tools have influenced the evolution of the history of science in Italy and, in turn, how they are being negatively affected by academic cronyism and the research evaluation criteria introduced in recent years by the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR).
This contribution examines some methodological and epistemological issues relating to ecdotics, digital humanities and, more generally, the interdisciplinary approach in historical-scientific research. The paper also discusses how these research tools have influenced the evolution of the history of science in Italy and, in turn, how they are being negatively affected by academic cronyism and the research evaluation criteria introduced in recent years by the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR).
Research Interests: Epistemology, Digital Humanities, Research Methodology, Interdisciplinarity, Open Access, and 12 moreOpen Access Publishing, Methodology, History of Science, Ecdotics, Interdisciplinary Studies, Italy, LaTeX, Corruption, Nepotism, Measurement and evaluation in education, Cronyism, and School of Milan
in: Storia e Filosofia della Scienza: una nuova alleanza?, ed. F. Minazzi, Milan, Mimesis, 2024, pp. 175-182
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Foreword to D. Zampieri, "La valle dal cuore di Perla. Sulle orme di Giovanni Arduino nelle cave di marmo della Val Posina," Padua, CLEUP, 2022, pp. 13-19.
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The book analyses from a comparative perspective the exploration of territories, the histories of their inhabitants, and local natural environments during the long eighteenth century. The eleven chapters look at European science at home... more
The book analyses from a comparative perspective the exploration of territories, the histories of their inhabitants, and local natural environments during the long eighteenth century. The eleven chapters look at European science at home and abroad as well as at global scientific practices and the involvement of a great variety of local actors in the processes of mapping and recording. Dealing with landlocked territories with no colonies (like Switzerland) and places embedded in colonial networks, the book reveals multifarious entanglements connecting these territories.
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In: "Connecting Territories: Exploring People and Nature, 1700-1850," eds. S. Boscani Leoni, S. Baumgartner and M. Knittel, Leiden, Brill, 2021, pp. 54-74.
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in "La Garfagnana. Relazioni e conflitti nei secoli con gli Stati e i territori confinanti," Proceedings of the meeting (Castelnuovo Garfagnana, September 9-10, 2017), edited by Giordano Bertuzzi, Modena, Aedes Muratoriana, 2018, pp.... more
in "La Garfagnana. Relazioni e conflitti nei secoli con gli Stati e i territori confinanti," Proceedings of the meeting (Castelnuovo Garfagnana, September 9-10, 2017), edited by Giordano Bertuzzi, Modena, Aedes Muratoriana, 2018, pp. 119-137
Research Interests: Geography, Anthropology, Early Modern History, Material Culture Studies, History of Science, and 18 moreEarly Modern Europe, Natural History, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Literature And Science, Early Modern Italy, Mining, Republic of Letters (Early Modern History), Cultural Anthropology, Material Culture, Ludovico Ariosto, Travel, Traveling, Manuscripts, Tuscany, Garfagnana, Field Research, and Antonio Vallisneri
in Il fiume, le terre, l’immaginario. L’Adige come fenomeno storiografico complesso, Proceedings of the meeting (Rovereto, February 21-22, 2013), edited by Vito Rovigo, Rovereto, Edizioni Osiride, 2016, pp. 287-312.
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Research Interests:
in Nel nome di Lazzaro. Saggi di storia della scienza e delle istituzioni scientifiche tra il XVII e il XVIII secolo, edited by Centro Studi Lazzaro Spallanzani, Bologna, Edizioni Pendragon, 2014, pp. 207-220.
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Research Interests:
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Since the beginning of his scientific activity the physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) devoted many studies to the Earth sciences. In those years his interest focused particularly on the features of mineral kingdom... more
Since the beginning of his scientific activity the physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) devoted many studies to the Earth sciences. In those years his interest focused
particularly on the features of mineral kingdom and its relationship with spring water. The first observations date back to the last decade of XVII century, when the author analysed the gypsum and sulphur veins on the Monte Gesso, in the Duchy of Modena and Reggio.
Some years later, during one of his journeys across the northern Apennines in search for the origin of springs, Vallisneri reached the Este domain of Garfagnana. There he explored the iron caves of Fornovolasco: this experience allowed him to support his theory with many empirical information, later exposed in the Lezione Accademica intorno all’Origine delle Fontane (1715).
The many data collected by Vallisneri encouraged him to outline a theoretical interpretation of mineral genesis. He supposed the mineral veins as developed by ‘seeds’ released in the Earth by God. The successful growth of ore veins, therefore, depended on the more or less favourable environment they would have found by accident. These ‘seeds’, as the author clarified, were not intended to be the very same of ‘perfect germs of generation’ typical of animals or plants. Rather, they were ‘matrices’ that had to be detected in order to exploit the wealth of mines posed, in a proper Leibnizian conception, ‘by God for world’s use’.
particularly on the features of mineral kingdom and its relationship with spring water. The first observations date back to the last decade of XVII century, when the author analysed the gypsum and sulphur veins on the Monte Gesso, in the Duchy of Modena and Reggio.
Some years later, during one of his journeys across the northern Apennines in search for the origin of springs, Vallisneri reached the Este domain of Garfagnana. There he explored the iron caves of Fornovolasco: this experience allowed him to support his theory with many empirical information, later exposed in the Lezione Accademica intorno all’Origine delle Fontane (1715).
The many data collected by Vallisneri encouraged him to outline a theoretical interpretation of mineral genesis. He supposed the mineral veins as developed by ‘seeds’ released in the Earth by God. The successful growth of ore veins, therefore, depended on the more or less favourable environment they would have found by accident. These ‘seeds’, as the author clarified, were not intended to be the very same of ‘perfect germs of generation’ typical of animals or plants. Rather, they were ‘matrices’ that had to be detected in order to exploit the wealth of mines posed, in a proper Leibnizian conception, ‘by God for world’s use’.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The scientific studies of the Italian physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661–1730) were concerned with the cultural and religious implications of the debate on fossils in the early decades of the eighteenth century. In De’... more
The scientific studies of the Italian physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661–1730) were concerned with the cultural and religious implications of the debate on fossils in the early decades of the eighteenth century. In De’ Corpi Marini he summarized the main diluvial theories but declined to support them. He explained the presence of fossils in strata in mountainous regions as the result of localized multiple flood and emersion sequences, and restricted the direct action of God to the biblical Deluge. This theory clearly contradicted the biblical interpretation provided by Catholic orthodoxy, which affirmed the existence of a single global Deluge. Vallisneri therefore had to gloss over its real meaning and use a careful self-censorship system, a strategy that he frequently used in his books. The comparison with the work of several Italian and European authors had great relevance to Vallisneri’s theories.
He continually exchanged correspondence and natural objects with some of the most outstanding of the eighteenth century natural philosophers. This involvement with other scholars deeply influenced his thought, and helped him to reach a pre-eminent status in the Italian scientific community of the time.
He continually exchanged correspondence and natural objects with some of the most outstanding of the eighteenth century natural philosophers. This involvement with other scholars deeply influenced his thought, and helped him to reach a pre-eminent status in the Italian scientific community of the time.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper deals with the identification of the microscope used by the Italian physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) during his experimental research activity. The investigation was structured in three phases: a) a... more
This paper deals with the identification of the microscope used by
the Italian physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) during his experimental research activity.
The investigation was structured in three phases: a) a first text analysis on published and manuscript sources, looking for information about the microscope(s) used by Vallisneri; b) an hypothesis was put forward based on the chronological and descriptive compliance between the examined writings and the technological level achieved by eighteenth- and seventeenth-century microscopy; c) there was an experimental verification of the hypothesis, through the reproduction of observations reported by Vallisneri, using similar material and instrument.
The letters written by Vallisneri to Louis Bourguet and Jacopo Riccati between 1713 and 1721 were the most important documents for the purpose of this research.
They concern the observation of spermatozoa in rabbit semen. In these letters Vallisneri mentioned some «English microscopes with eight lens orders» that fitted the description of the screw-barrel microscope by the English craftsman James Wilson in three pamphlets issued between 1702 and 1711. Original copies of Wilson-type microscopes are preserved at the Muse´e d’Histoire des Sciences of Geneva, where the possibility of manipulating them allowed the experimental observation of the rabbit semen. Among the instruments preserved there, inventory no. 466 was mainly considered: a Wilson-type microscope on a brass stand – a change introduced by John Cuff in the early 1740s. The spermatic cells were clearly observed through three lenses, with magnifications ranging from 120 X to 300 X.
Though it must be pointed out that these lenses were not standardised, this result reasonably confirmed the hypothesis, e.g. the microscope used by Vallisneri for the observation of spermatozoa was a screw-barrel instrument made by James Wilson, probably in the first decade of the eighteenth century. In the conclusion I discuss the role played by single lens microscopes in Vallisneri’s activity and in the development of early eighteenth-century scientific research and markets in northern Italy.
the Italian physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) during his experimental research activity.
The investigation was structured in three phases: a) a first text analysis on published and manuscript sources, looking for information about the microscope(s) used by Vallisneri; b) an hypothesis was put forward based on the chronological and descriptive compliance between the examined writings and the technological level achieved by eighteenth- and seventeenth-century microscopy; c) there was an experimental verification of the hypothesis, through the reproduction of observations reported by Vallisneri, using similar material and instrument.
The letters written by Vallisneri to Louis Bourguet and Jacopo Riccati between 1713 and 1721 were the most important documents for the purpose of this research.
They concern the observation of spermatozoa in rabbit semen. In these letters Vallisneri mentioned some «English microscopes with eight lens orders» that fitted the description of the screw-barrel microscope by the English craftsman James Wilson in three pamphlets issued between 1702 and 1711. Original copies of Wilson-type microscopes are preserved at the Muse´e d’Histoire des Sciences of Geneva, where the possibility of manipulating them allowed the experimental observation of the rabbit semen. Among the instruments preserved there, inventory no. 466 was mainly considered: a Wilson-type microscope on a brass stand – a change introduced by John Cuff in the early 1740s. The spermatic cells were clearly observed through three lenses, with magnifications ranging from 120 X to 300 X.
Though it must be pointed out that these lenses were not standardised, this result reasonably confirmed the hypothesis, e.g. the microscope used by Vallisneri for the observation of spermatozoa was a screw-barrel instrument made by James Wilson, probably in the first decade of the eighteenth century. In the conclusion I discuss the role played by single lens microscopes in Vallisneri’s activity and in the development of early eighteenth-century scientific research and markets in northern Italy.
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Book review, "Nuove lezioni bellinzonesi," vol. 1, 2022, pp. 171-176
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Book review, "Early Science and Medicine," Vol. 26, n. 4, pp. 409–411.
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Book review, "Renaissance Quarterly," Volume 71, n. 4, 2018, pp. 1489-1491.
Research Interests: Urban Geography, Hydrogeology, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Hydrology, and 11 moreInterdisciplinarity, Renaissance Studies, Environmental Studies, Urban History, History of Science, Water resources, Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Water Resources Management, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Comparative Historical Analysis, and Middle Ages
Book review, «Aestimatio», n. 11, 2014 (2016), pp. 364-369.
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Book review, «Società e Storia», n. 148, 2015, pp. 395-397.
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in: Geosciences on a changing planet: learning from the past, exploring the future, 88° Congresso della Società Geologica Italiana (Naples, September 7-9, 2016), Abstract book, edited by D. Calcaterra, S. Mazzoli, F.M. Petti, B. Carmina... more
in: Geosciences on a changing planet: learning from the past, exploring the future,
88° Congresso della Società Geologica Italiana (Naples, September 7-9, 2016), Abstract book, edited by D. Calcaterra, S. Mazzoli, F.M. Petti, B. Carmina and A. Zuccari, «Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana», Volume 40, Supplemento n. 1, July 2016, p. 905.
88° Congresso della Società Geologica Italiana (Naples, September 7-9, 2016), Abstract book, edited by D. Calcaterra, S. Mazzoli, F.M. Petti, B. Carmina and A. Zuccari, «Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana», Volume 40, Supplemento n. 1, July 2016, p. 905.
Research Interests: Hydrogeology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Early Modern History, Ethnography, and 10 moreHistory of Medicine, History of Science, XVIII century, Science and Religion, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Republic of Letters (Early Modern History), XVII century, Antonio Vallisneri, and History of the Earth Sciences
Research Interests: European History, Earth Sciences, Geology, Romanticism, Ecdotics, and 11 moreAlpine history, 18th & 19th Centuries, Literature And Science, 19th Century (History), Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mountaineering, Dolomites, Critical edition, Alpine Region, Sciences and Politics, and History of the Alps
"Through the virtue of waters": Mineral ores and springs in Vannoccio Biringuccio's Pirotechnia (1540) - Acque Sotterranee, Italian Journal of Groundwater, Vol. 9, n. 3, 2020, pp. 65-67
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In 1680, a freshwater spring was discovered in one of Venice's main canals, the Cannaregio. This fact aroused a lively discussion on the presence of groundwater under the city: the debate endured throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and... more
In 1680, a freshwater spring was discovered in one of Venice's main canals, the Cannaregio. This fact aroused a lively discussion on the presence of groundwater under the city: the debate endured throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and entailed scientific, political, social, and environmental issues.
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“Natura Alpina,” Rivista della Società di Scienze Naturali del Trentino, Vol. 69, pp. 95-100
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«Acque Sotterranee», Italian Journal of Groundwater, n. 3, September 2014, pp. 83-84.
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«Acque Sotterranee», Italian Journal of Groundwater, n. 4, December 2014, pp. 69-70.
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«Acque Sotterranee», Italian Journal of Groundwater, n. 3, September 2015, pp. 79-80
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The fourth meeting of the series "History and Philosophy of Science: Historical Traditions and Epistemological Perspectives" features three experts in the history of medicine and pharmacy. Elisabeth Hsu, Elaine Leong, and Barbara Orland... more
The fourth meeting of the series "History and Philosophy of Science: Historical Traditions and Epistemological Perspectives" features three experts in the history of medicine and pharmacy. Elisabeth Hsu, Elaine Leong, and Barbara Orland will address interdisciplinary themes like the experimental replication of laboratory practices, the transfer of medical and scientific knowledge, language and text critical studies.
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Front and back cover (Trento, Museo delle Scienze, 2022)
Research Interests: Geology, Nineteenth Century Studies, Environmental History, History of Science, Alpine history, and 11 moreArt and Science, Literature And Science, Risorgimento, Mountain & mountaineering literature, Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture, Alps, Mountaineering, Dolomites, Mountain Tourism, Italian History, and Austro-Hungarian History
Front and back cover (Edition Open Sources Series, Sources 11, January 2018)
Research Interests: Philology, Geography, Earth Sciences, Hydrogeology, Paleontology, and 35 moreAnthropology, Early Modern History, History of Medicine, Material Culture Studies, Open Access, History of Natural History, Environmental History, History of Science, Textual Criticism, Ecdotics, Manuscript Studies, Early Modern Europe, Science and Religion, Open Source/Open Access and Libraries, 17th-Century Studies, Natural History, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Early Modern Italy, Republic of Letters (Early Modern History), 18th Century, Open Source and Free Software Studies, Speleology, Anthropocene studies, Water Management, Textual Criticism and Editing, Natural Resources Management, Thermal Waters, Anthropocene, Northern Apennines, Garfagnana, Critical edition, Antonio Vallisneri, Philosophy and history of science, and Edition Open Sources
"Geschichte am Mittwoch - Geschichte im Dialog" Seminar Series November 8, 2017 - Institut für Geschichte, Universität Wien, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien, Hörsaal 45 Presentation of the book "Antonio Vallisneri: Primi Itineris per... more
"Geschichte am Mittwoch - Geschichte im Dialog" Seminar Series
November 8, 2017 - Institut für Geschichte, Universität Wien, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien, Hörsaal 45
Presentation of the book "Antonio Vallisneri: Primi Itineris per Montes Specimen Physico-Medicum", soon to be published for the digital humanities project Edition Open Sources (http://www.edition-open-sources.org/).
The seminar will focus on the content of Vallisneri's manuscript and on the many historical, scientific, and philosophical topics it addresses. Also, a methodological reflection will be made on the issues and goals related to the Edition Open Sources Project – as the problematic relationship between textual criticism and digital humanities and the impact of open access on scholarly research.
November 8, 2017 - Institut für Geschichte, Universität Wien, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien, Hörsaal 45
Presentation of the book "Antonio Vallisneri: Primi Itineris per Montes Specimen Physico-Medicum", soon to be published for the digital humanities project Edition Open Sources (http://www.edition-open-sources.org/).
The seminar will focus on the content of Vallisneri's manuscript and on the many historical, scientific, and philosophical topics it addresses. Also, a methodological reflection will be made on the issues and goals related to the Edition Open Sources Project – as the problematic relationship between textual criticism and digital humanities and the impact of open access on scholarly research.
Research Interests: Geography, Hydrogeology, Anthropology, Folklore, 17th Century & Early Modern Philosophy, and 14 moreDigital Humanities, Early Modern History, History of Science, Ecdotics, Natural History, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Republic of Letters (Early Modern History), 18th Century, Speleology, Experimentalism, Northern Apennines, Antonio Vallisneri, and Edition Open Sources
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Troppo spesso l’interdisciplinarità è intesa come una semplice e inerte sommatoria d'aree scientifiche e/o umanistiche, priva di una vera interazione tra le parti. Altre volte è presentata come un semplice e snaturante amalgama di... more
Troppo spesso l’interdisciplinarità è intesa come una semplice e inerte sommatoria d'aree scientifiche e/o umanistiche, priva di una vera interazione tra le parti. Altre volte è presentata come un semplice e snaturante amalgama di concetti superficiali, nel tentativo – meritorio, ma inefficace – di rendere comprensibile ciò che è indubbiamente complesso. Altre volte ancora l’interdisciplinarità è ridotta a titolo onorifico, utilizzato per nobilitare ricerche e collaborazioni in cui (ben più dell'apprendimento di nuove competenze) a prevalere è il ricorso acritico e passivo alle competenze altrui.
Queste letture sono inefficaci e sterili, e non permettono di beneficiare davvero dell’interazione tra i diversi campi del sapere. Un’interazione che non sempre è immediata o facile a raggiungersi; ma che è tuttavia il fulcro del progresso scientifico, e, più in generale, del sapere umano. Ce lo dimostreranno gli interventi degli studiosi coinvolti, attivi in diversi campi di ricerca che sono profondamente influenzati dalla prospettiva interdisciplinare.
Ciascuno dei cinque incontri sarà dedicato a un tema fondamentale del dibattito storico-scientifico moderno (scienze mediche e antropologiche; scienze naturali; museografia e studio delle fonti; comunicazione scientifica; scienza, musica e arte). Ogni incontro ospiterà l’intervento di due relatori, che presenteranno i loro studi e si confronteranno poi tra loro e con due moderatori sui contenuti interdisciplinari delle loro ricerche, in un dialogo aperto al pubblico e a carattere divulgativo.
Il ciclo di incontri è organizzato dal “Centro di ricerca sulla Storia della Montagna, della Cultura Materiale e delle Scienze della Terra” del Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate dell’Università degli Studi dell’Insubria.
Queste letture sono inefficaci e sterili, e non permettono di beneficiare davvero dell’interazione tra i diversi campi del sapere. Un’interazione che non sempre è immediata o facile a raggiungersi; ma che è tuttavia il fulcro del progresso scientifico, e, più in generale, del sapere umano. Ce lo dimostreranno gli interventi degli studiosi coinvolti, attivi in diversi campi di ricerca che sono profondamente influenzati dalla prospettiva interdisciplinare.
Ciascuno dei cinque incontri sarà dedicato a un tema fondamentale del dibattito storico-scientifico moderno (scienze mediche e antropologiche; scienze naturali; museografia e studio delle fonti; comunicazione scientifica; scienza, musica e arte). Ogni incontro ospiterà l’intervento di due relatori, che presenteranno i loro studi e si confronteranno poi tra loro e con due moderatori sui contenuti interdisciplinari delle loro ricerche, in un dialogo aperto al pubblico e a carattere divulgativo.
Il ciclo di incontri è organizzato dal “Centro di ricerca sulla Storia della Montagna, della Cultura Materiale e delle Scienze della Terra” del Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate dell’Università degli Studi dell’Insubria.
Research Interests: Philology, Music, Music History, Anthropology, Philosophy, and 18 moreSocial Sciences, Science Communication, History of Medicine, Environmental Studies, History of Science, Cybernetics, Ecdotics, Natural History, Ecology, Natural philosophy, History of Biology, History of Geology, History of Medicine and the Body, Museography, Historical Sources, Education science outreach, Natural Sciences, and Music and Science
Dissertation, PhD in History of Science - University of Bari, 2009
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Dissertation, MA in Natural Sciences - University of Milan, 2005
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Workshop "Historical Waterscapes in Crosscultural Perspective" - Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, July 5-7, 2023 Throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, water management in Italy was affected by the idea... more
Workshop "Historical Waterscapes in Crosscultural Perspective" - Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, July 5-7, 2023
Throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, water
management in Italy was affected by the idea – typical of the new
science – that human intervention should “support natural
inclinations” in order to succeed. Moving from some significant case
studies, I attempt a preliminary discussion of this concept of an
"art supportive of nature," its actual influence on the evolution of the
early modern debate on water management, and the particular
reasons behind its popularity in the Italian context.
Throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, water
management in Italy was affected by the idea – typical of the new
science – that human intervention should “support natural
inclinations” in order to succeed. Moving from some significant case
studies, I attempt a preliminary discussion of this concept of an
"art supportive of nature," its actual influence on the evolution of the
early modern debate on water management, and the particular
reasons behind its popularity in the Italian context.
Research Interests: Civil Engineering, Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Environmental History, Metaphor, and 13 moreNatural philosophy, Rivers, Early Modern Italy, Water Resources Management, Analogy (Philosophy), Medicine, 18th Century, Italy, Anatomy, Therapeutics, Anthropocene, Water resource management, and Coastal Lagoons
Seminar - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (MD), USA - March 16, 2022
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Neuchâtel Seminar in History of Science and Technology, 2nd Edition, 2021-2022 The growing presence in the Isis Current Bibliography of literature focusing on scientific objects is an eloquent sign of the importance gained by this... more
Neuchâtel Seminar in History of Science and Technology, 2nd Edition, 2021-2022
The growing presence in the Isis Current Bibliography of literature focusing on scientific objects is an eloquent sign of the importance gained by this subject in the last decades. As the foremost and oldest project devoted to collecting and categorizing bibliographic citations in the history of science and related areas, the IsisCB (together with its open access service, IsisCB Explore) provides scholars with a useful resource to discover publications, people, and concepts – and, therefore, to bridge disciplinary and cultural boundaries. Given its markedly interdisciplinary nature, the study of scientific objects can benefit enormously from the use of the IsisCB as a research tool to assess the state of the art of this broad field and to explore new trends and challenges in its development.
The growing presence in the Isis Current Bibliography of literature focusing on scientific objects is an eloquent sign of the importance gained by this subject in the last decades. As the foremost and oldest project devoted to collecting and categorizing bibliographic citations in the history of science and related areas, the IsisCB (together with its open access service, IsisCB Explore) provides scholars with a useful resource to discover publications, people, and concepts – and, therefore, to bridge disciplinary and cultural boundaries. Given its markedly interdisciplinary nature, the study of scientific objects can benefit enormously from the use of the IsisCB as a research tool to assess the state of the art of this broad field and to explore new trends and challenges in its development.
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(Scientiae Conference, Belfast (UK), June 12-15, 2019 - Panel “Seeds, Plants, and Fruits: Investigation of Vegetal Bodies") The use of organic analogies to explain the genesis and growth of mineral ores was a dominant interpretive... more
(Scientiae Conference, Belfast (UK), June 12-15, 2019 - Panel “Seeds, Plants, and Fruits: Investigation of Vegetal Bodies")
The use of organic analogies to explain the genesis and growth of mineral ores was a dominant interpretive tradition in medieval and early modern mining and in natural philosophy. In the view of authors from many different cultural and professional backgrounds, ore veins were seen as dendritic structures moving upwards and (just like trees) producing fruits and undergoing a natural cycle of generation, growth, and decay. Some, like Paracelsus and Johann Mathesius, went so far as to describe the mineral world as the “miner’s harvest”: accordingly, the existence in metals and minerals of a regenerative power and of such features as "seeds," "matrices," and "nourishment" remained central and recurrent issues throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. A great number of interpretive models appeared, coexisted, overlapped and often merged into a complex stream of knowledge whose course was shaped by the interaction of philosophical, alchemical, religious, technological, and experimental traditions.
Even mining terminologies were profoundly affected by the organic view, as is clearly attested by a number of technical and more or less colloquial expressions that are still widely used among miners: two clear examples are the terms “cultivation” and “fertility” – which refer, respectively, to the concepts of exploitation and productivity in mining. Far from being just vestigial traits in an otherwise (allegedly) “evolved” narrative of nature, these words are precious terminological clues to understand how the botanical model in the early modern period influenced (and somehow still influences) our perception of geological phenomena, as well as our approach to natural resources.
The use of organic analogies to explain the genesis and growth of mineral ores was a dominant interpretive tradition in medieval and early modern mining and in natural philosophy. In the view of authors from many different cultural and professional backgrounds, ore veins were seen as dendritic structures moving upwards and (just like trees) producing fruits and undergoing a natural cycle of generation, growth, and decay. Some, like Paracelsus and Johann Mathesius, went so far as to describe the mineral world as the “miner’s harvest”: accordingly, the existence in metals and minerals of a regenerative power and of such features as "seeds," "matrices," and "nourishment" remained central and recurrent issues throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. A great number of interpretive models appeared, coexisted, overlapped and often merged into a complex stream of knowledge whose course was shaped by the interaction of philosophical, alchemical, religious, technological, and experimental traditions.
Even mining terminologies were profoundly affected by the organic view, as is clearly attested by a number of technical and more or less colloquial expressions that are still widely used among miners: two clear examples are the terms “cultivation” and “fertility” – which refer, respectively, to the concepts of exploitation and productivity in mining. Far from being just vestigial traits in an otherwise (allegedly) “evolved” narrative of nature, these words are precious terminological clues to understand how the botanical model in the early modern period influenced (and somehow still influences) our perception of geological phenomena, as well as our approach to natural resources.
Research Interests: Botany, Early Modern History, Environmental Studies, History of Science, Alchemy, and 15 moreTerminology, Early Modern Europe, Natural Resource Management, Minerals, Early Modern Science and Philosophy, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Mining, Early Modern Science, Neoplatonism, Interdisciplinary Studies, Human-Environment Interactions, Hermeticism, Experimentalism, and Natural Resources Management
(43rd INHIGEO Meeting, Mexico City (Mexico), November 12-21, 2018 - Symposium "Early Modern Geological Agency") Throughout the early modern period, the study of mineral genesis and growth remained a central and recurrent issue for... more
(43rd INHIGEO Meeting, Mexico City (Mexico), November 12-21, 2018 - Symposium "Early Modern Geological Agency")
Throughout the early modern period, the study of mineral genesis and growth remained a central and recurrent issue for natural philosophers, technicians, and practitioners all over Europe. A long-standing debate was fueled by many concurrent economic, political, cultural and social factors, and involved a number of philosophical, religious and practical traditions: across the centuries, natural inquirers from different backgrounds confronted and influenced each other, often engaging in discussions about the existence in minerals and rocks of organic features such as seeds (or “matrices”) and nourishment. Not surprisingly, the thoughts of those who joined the debate were often subject to significant ambiguities and fluctuations; especially when mining technologies, empiricism, experimentalism, and other theoretical frameworks began to meet more and more frequently on the fertile ground of field research. This contribution attempts an analysis of the theoretical and practical effects that the many streams of knowledge involved in the early modern understanding of mineral generation (philosophy, alchemy, religion, field research, material practices, geographical discoveries, experimentalism, and the resulting natural-philosophical debates) had on the perception of natural exploitability and renewability – and, therefore, on the emerging awareness of the exhaustibility of natural resources. By focusing on selected case studies from the XVI, XVII, and early XVIII centuries, and relying on documentary sources, this paper tries to ascertain if – and if so, how and when – such awareness influenced the behavior of humans as geological agents. The aim is to explore the concept of early modern geological agency from a peculiar, yet (hopefully) useful point of view, shedding new light on our understanding of the intertwined human-environment system.
Throughout the early modern period, the study of mineral genesis and growth remained a central and recurrent issue for natural philosophers, technicians, and practitioners all over Europe. A long-standing debate was fueled by many concurrent economic, political, cultural and social factors, and involved a number of philosophical, religious and practical traditions: across the centuries, natural inquirers from different backgrounds confronted and influenced each other, often engaging in discussions about the existence in minerals and rocks of organic features such as seeds (or “matrices”) and nourishment. Not surprisingly, the thoughts of those who joined the debate were often subject to significant ambiguities and fluctuations; especially when mining technologies, empiricism, experimentalism, and other theoretical frameworks began to meet more and more frequently on the fertile ground of field research. This contribution attempts an analysis of the theoretical and practical effects that the many streams of knowledge involved in the early modern understanding of mineral generation (philosophy, alchemy, religion, field research, material practices, geographical discoveries, experimentalism, and the resulting natural-philosophical debates) had on the perception of natural exploitability and renewability – and, therefore, on the emerging awareness of the exhaustibility of natural resources. By focusing on selected case studies from the XVI, XVII, and early XVIII centuries, and relying on documentary sources, this paper tries to ascertain if – and if so, how and when – such awareness influenced the behavior of humans as geological agents. The aim is to explore the concept of early modern geological agency from a peculiar, yet (hopefully) useful point of view, shedding new light on our understanding of the intertwined human-environment system.
Research Interests: Early Modern History, Environmental Studies, History of Science, Human-Environment Relations, Alchemy, and 13 moreTerminology, Early Modern Europe, Science and Religion, Natural Resource Management, 16th Century (History), Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Mining, 17th century Europe, 18th Century, Anthropocene studies, Mineral Resources, and Anthropocene
Early Modern Geological Agency Organized by: Tina Asmussen (ETH Zürich) and Pietro Daniel Omodeo (Università Ca'Foscari Venezia)
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Meeting of the Research Group "Knowledge in and of the Anthropocene" - Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin (Department I)
Research Interests: Censorship, History of Science, XVIII century, Science and Religion, Robert Hooke, and 19 moreNatural History, Protestantism, Natural philosophy, History of Geology, Geochronology, Early Modern Catholicism, XVII century, Fossils, Early Modern Period, Deep time, Science and Culture, History of earth sciences, Diluvialism, Antonio Vallisneri, Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Theories of the Earth, Johann Jakob Scheuchzer, Bernardino Ramazzini, and William Whiston
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Paper and slides presented at the 25th International Congress of History of Science and Technology (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 23-29, 2017) - Symposium S28, "Multiple Spaces: Mapping Communication via Letters between Naturalists"... more
Paper and slides presented at the 25th International Congress of History of Science and Technology (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 23-29, 2017) - Symposium S28, "Multiple Spaces: Mapping Communication via Letters between Naturalists"
(International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences)
(International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences)
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(2015 GSA Annual Meeting - Baltimore, Maryland, USA - Session T98 – The Great Images in Geology I). Among the many issues that charmed the Republic of Letters in the early modern period, the passionate and controversial debate on the... more
(2015 GSA Annual Meeting - Baltimore, Maryland, USA - Session T98 – The Great Images in Geology I).
Among the many issues that charmed the Republic of Letters in the early modern period, the passionate and controversial debate on the origin of springs and on the hydrologic cycle did not escape the inquisitive eye of Jesuit scholars. Not a few members of this complex and heterogeneous order devoted great attention to this topic, in a titanic effort to harmonize Catholic orthodoxy, experimentalism, field research, philosophical traditions such as Aristotelianism, Neoplatonism and Hermeticism, and new doctrines – as, for example, Cartesianism.
These attempts, though carried out within the rigorous theoretical framework imposed by the Counter-Reformation (a framework whose boundaries were unavoidably and frequently stretched to their limits), resulted in significant and peculiar outcomes, giving rise to a number of elaborate interpretations of hydrogeological phenomena that could not be ignored by natural philosophers all over Europe. Several theories advanced by Jesuit scholars contributed to shape the debate on the origin of fresh water: and in doing so, a crucial role was played by iconography. In profusely and splendidly illustrated treatises such as Mario Bettini’s Apiaria universae philosophiae mathematicae (1642), Athanasius Kircher’s Iter extaticum coeleste (1660) and Mundus Subterraneus (1664-1665), Gaspar Schott’s Anatomia physico-hydrostatica fontium ac fluminum (1660), and other works, the descriptive and metaphorical use of images proved to be a fundamental tool to support the authors’ efforts to reconcile faith with facts and to spread their theories. It was also thanks to the evocative power of these images that a number of Jesuit scholars were able to increase the influence of their refined theoretical models among the Republic of Letters, interacting – not without struggle and fierce disputes, of course – with the supporters of the new experimental method; and providing a significant contribution, rather than an antithetical and obsolete point of view, to the comprehension of the water cycle.
Among the many issues that charmed the Republic of Letters in the early modern period, the passionate and controversial debate on the origin of springs and on the hydrologic cycle did not escape the inquisitive eye of Jesuit scholars. Not a few members of this complex and heterogeneous order devoted great attention to this topic, in a titanic effort to harmonize Catholic orthodoxy, experimentalism, field research, philosophical traditions such as Aristotelianism, Neoplatonism and Hermeticism, and new doctrines – as, for example, Cartesianism.
These attempts, though carried out within the rigorous theoretical framework imposed by the Counter-Reformation (a framework whose boundaries were unavoidably and frequently stretched to their limits), resulted in significant and peculiar outcomes, giving rise to a number of elaborate interpretations of hydrogeological phenomena that could not be ignored by natural philosophers all over Europe. Several theories advanced by Jesuit scholars contributed to shape the debate on the origin of fresh water: and in doing so, a crucial role was played by iconography. In profusely and splendidly illustrated treatises such as Mario Bettini’s Apiaria universae philosophiae mathematicae (1642), Athanasius Kircher’s Iter extaticum coeleste (1660) and Mundus Subterraneus (1664-1665), Gaspar Schott’s Anatomia physico-hydrostatica fontium ac fluminum (1660), and other works, the descriptive and metaphorical use of images proved to be a fundamental tool to support the authors’ efforts to reconcile faith with facts and to spread their theories. It was also thanks to the evocative power of these images that a number of Jesuit scholars were able to increase the influence of their refined theoretical models among the Republic of Letters, interacting – not without struggle and fierce disputes, of course – with the supporters of the new experimental method; and providing a significant contribution, rather than an antithetical and obsolete point of view, to the comprehension of the water cycle.
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October 16, 2015 - University of Oklahoma Libraries, Norman, OK, USA
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Since early modern science moved its first steps into the study of natural phenomena, it devoted great and constant attention to the problematic issue of the origin of springs and fresh water. This interest was not only aroused by mere... more
Since early modern science moved its first steps into the study of natural phenomena, it devoted great and constant attention to the problematic issue of the origin of springs and fresh water. This interest was not only aroused by mere philosophical curiosity: water management was – as it is now – a crucial topic for communities and governments. Droughts and floods often meant the difference between wealth and misery, health and disease, and, therefore, between life and death, with all the related social, economic, and political consequences. It is no wonder, then, that such a vital resource soon became a subject of investigation (and controversy) by a number of scholars and technicians all over Europe.
It was from this turbulent, lively background that the new science of hydrogeology emerged, gaining knowledge from many different disciplines such as physics, hydraulics, mathematics, meteorology, mineralogy, mining technology, engineering, chemistry (but also from philosophy, theology, alchemy, pottery, agronomy), which – just like streams merging into a single river – contributed to the comprehension of the hydrologic cycle.
It was from this turbulent, lively background that the new science of hydrogeology emerged, gaining knowledge from many different disciplines such as physics, hydraulics, mathematics, meteorology, mineralogy, mining technology, engineering, chemistry (but also from philosophy, theology, alchemy, pottery, agronomy), which – just like streams merging into a single river – contributed to the comprehension of the hydrologic cycle.
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The years spanning from the first decades of the seventeenth century to the second half of the eighteenth marked a crucial passage in the changing perception of man’s place in nature. The invention of new scientific instruments such as... more
The years spanning from the first decades of the seventeenth century to the second half of the eighteenth marked a crucial passage in the changing perception of man’s place in nature. The invention of new scientific instruments such as the microscope and the telescope eased the shift from a fixed, immutable creation toward a dynamic conception of nature, in which change had a major role in shaping the history of life and Earth itself. As the debate unleashed by the organic interpretation of fossils drew the attention of European natural philosophers, it became increasingly clear that the introduction of a chronological dimension within naturalistic studies would impart to scientific subjects a philosophical and metaphysical meaning.
The religious, ideological, political (and, somehow, philosophical) fractures that in those years tormented Europe could not avoid affecting a thorny issue like the debate on fossils and on diluvialism. Yet, it is undisputed that lively discussions and reciprocal influences between Anglican, Catholic and Reformed scholars were far from rare. And frequently these contacts bore fruitful results. This lecture explores and compares the many different perspectives that characterized the theories of the Earth during what can be considered a crucial moment in the history of natural sciences.
The religious, ideological, political (and, somehow, philosophical) fractures that in those years tormented Europe could not avoid affecting a thorny issue like the debate on fossils and on diluvialism. Yet, it is undisputed that lively discussions and reciprocal influences between Anglican, Catholic and Reformed scholars were far from rare. And frequently these contacts bore fruitful results. This lecture explores and compares the many different perspectives that characterized the theories of the Earth during what can be considered a crucial moment in the history of natural sciences.
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Webinar series, 2024-2025
Research Interests: Early Modern History, History of Medicine, History of Science, 17th-Century Studies, Natural philosophy, and 11 moreHistory of Biology, History of Geology, Republic of Letters (Early Modern History), 18th Century, Conferences and Seminars, Experimentalism, Natural Sciences, History of earth sciences, Antonio Vallisneri, History of Philosophy, and Webinars
Milan, March 12, 2024
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Research Interests: 17th Century & Early Modern Philosophy, Early Modern History, Microscopy, History of Science, 17th-Century Studies, and 4 moreEarly Modern Science and Philosophy, Early Modern Science, Philosophy of Science, History of the Philosophy of Science, Epistemology of Experimentation, History of the Human sciences, and History of Philosophy
Panel Abstract: In this panel, we aim to investigate some specimens or vegetal items that attracted attention in the early modern time. The study of plants in the sixteenth and seventeenth century gained momentum as a study of... more
Panel Abstract: In this panel, we aim to investigate some specimens or vegetal items that attracted attention in the early modern time. The study of plants in the sixteenth and seventeenth century gained momentum as a study of singularities and rarities collected in herbaria or planted in botanical gardens; yet, while natural historical efforts concentrates on the diversities of plants, natural philosophers investigated the inner structure, functioning, and virtues of vegetal bodies. In this panel, we focus on a few compelling issues related to the second realm of nature: the study of generation of plants (in Luzzini's talk), the intersections between inert and vegetal bodies (in Čermáková's talk), the mechanical investigation of fruits in Cartesian philosophy (in Baldassarri's talk), and the study of seeds in Seventeenth century England (in Basse Eriksen's talk). All the talks shed light on the innovative approach early modern scholars had toward the second realm of nature.