Giovanni Antonelli
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Antonelli was an Italian scientist
, astronomer
and engineer
.
Antonelli was born in Pistoia
, Tuscany
. A Catholic priest, he was director of the Ximenian Observatory of Florence
from 1851 until his death.
In 1858 he installed a lightning rod
designed by himself and Filippo Cecchi on the Florence cathedral. Again with Father Cecchi, he collaborated in the design of a prototype of internal combustion engine
with Nicolò Barsanti and Felice Matteucci
. Father Antonelli wrote numerous treatises, concerning various arguments from astronomy to mathematics, hydraulics
and others; he also published a comment to astronomical passages in the Divine Comedy.
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
, astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
.
Antonelli was born in Pistoia
Pistoia
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno.-History:...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. A Catholic priest, he was director of the Ximenian Observatory of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
from 1851 until his death.
In 1858 he installed a lightning rod
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
designed by himself and Filippo Cecchi on the Florence cathedral. Again with Father Cecchi, he collaborated in the design of a prototype of internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
with Nicolò Barsanti and Felice Matteucci
Felice Matteucci
Felice Matteucci was an Italian hydraulic engineer who co-invented an internal combustion engine with Eugenio Barsanti. It is not known whether they were the first to do so, as the patent in question was lost....
. Father Antonelli wrote numerous treatises, concerning various arguments from astronomy to mathematics, hydraulics
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
and others; he also published a comment to astronomical passages in the Divine Comedy.