Schiaparelli giovanni virgilio biography of abraham

In 1859, following the Armistice of Villafranca, Piedmont annexed Lombardy, as a first step towards the unification of Italy.

Schiaparelli giovanni virgilio biography of abraham

This political event had immediate consequences on the conditions of the Observatory of Brera: the government of Piedmont, trying to restore the observatory from its state of crisis, due to lack of personnel and scientific instrumentation, sent to Brera Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (1835–1910) as “second astronomer”.

Two years later, in 1862, when the former director Carlini died, Schiaparelli took his place. He was only 27 years old, the youngest director in the entire history of the Observatory.

Schiaparelli was already known as a brilliant scientist, and was also a tireless worker; in short time, with his energy and ingenuity, he gave a new boost to the Observatory.

He had graduated at the Polytechnic University of Turin, a city which in that period (from 1861 to 1865) was the capital of Italy, and had the opportunity of meeting some of th