Review of the book “The Vesuvian Eruption of 1631: an Early Modern History” (by Alfonso Tortora)

This paper deals with the identification of the microscope used by the Italian physician and naturalist Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) during his 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)…[Read more]

By the end of the sixteenth century, many Jesuit colleges had become centers of excellence all over Europe for such disciplines as mathematics, astronomy, hydraulics, and mechanics. Not a few members of the order provided influential contributions to science: in the case of the study of waters, the inquisitive eye of Jesuits took part in the l…[Read 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…[Read more]

In 1687, after he graduated in Medicine, young Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) 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”…[Read 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,…[Read 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 pre…[Read more]