Giovanni Antonio Lecchi or Giannantonio Lecchi (

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, 17 November 1702 - 24 July 1776) was an Italian

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

and

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

. He lived and worked with success in Milan rising to a notable level of prominence.

Life

Born in Milan, his family owned Villa Lecchi in Crescenzago. After completing his studies at the Jesuit College of Brera in Milan, he joined the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

in 1718, professing the vows on 15 August 1736. At first professor of

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

Pavia Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...

and

Vercelli Vercelli (; pms, Vërsèj ), is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, ...

, Lecchi taught mathematics and hydraulics at the Brera College in Milan from 1738 to 1773. He also worked as technical consultant for the Senate of Milan on hydraulic matters. His first work was published in Milan in 1739 and it was about the theory of light ("Theoria lucis, opticam, perspectivam, catoptricam, dioptricam complectens"). In his second work he dealt with

mathematical analysis Analysis is the branch of mathematics dealing with continuous functions, limit (mathematics), limits, and related theories, such as Derivative, differentiation, Integral, integration, measure (mathematics), measure, infinite sequences, series (m ...

according to the basic elements of

Newton's method In numerical analysis, Newton's method, also known as the Newton–Raphson method, named after Isaac Newton and Joseph Raphson, is a root-finding algorithm which produces successively better approximations to the roots (or zeroes) of a real-valu ...

, and provided also a full course of

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

algebra Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics. Elementary a ...

and

trigonometry Trigonometry () is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships between side lengths and angles of triangles. The field emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BC from applications of geometry to astronomical studies. T ...

. In his first hydraulic papers, written on behalf of the College of Brera, Lecchi tried to apply mathematics to the problem of the measure of the speed and of the flow rate of water, by using a theoretical approach. From 1757 years Lecchi worked mainly as a

hydraulic engineer Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the mov ...

. In 1759, the Austrian Empress,

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

conferred upon him the title of imperial mathematician and hydraulic engineer, for which he received an annual pension of 300

florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...

s. Later,

Pope Clement XIII Pope Clement XIII ( la, Clemens XIII; it, Clemente XIII; 7 March 1693 – 2 February 1769), born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 July 1758 to his death in February 1769. ...

appointed him the director of hydraulic works of the papal territories. In the years 1765-67 Lecchi made some inspections in the

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...

valleys together with two other engineers,

Tommaso Temanza Tommaso Temanza (9 March 1705 – 14 June 1789) was an Italian architect and author of the Neoclassic period. Born in Venice, he was active both in his natal city and the mainland towns of the Republic of Venice. Biography His family held bure ...

and Giovanni Verace. The results of Lecchi’s surveys were published in the ''Memorie idrostatico-storiche delle operazioni eseguite nell’inalveazione del Reno di Bologna'' (Modena, 1773). In his ''Idrostatica'' (Hydrostatics, 1765), Lecchi provided a good theoretical grounding in the science of waters. Lecchi renounced the appointment with the advent of

Pope Clement XIV Pope Clement XIV ( la, Clemens XIV; it, Clemente XIV; 31 October 1705 – 22 September 1774), born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in Sep ...

. Lecchi was a friend and correspondent of

Roger Joseph Boscovich Roger Joseph Boscovich ( hr, Ruđer Josip Bošković; ; it, Ruggiero Giuseppe Boscovich; la, Rogerius (Iosephus) Boscovicius; sr, Руђер Јосип Бошковић; 18 May 1711 – 13 February 1787) was a physicist, astronomer, ...

. On his request, Boscovich revised the ''Idrostatica'' and contributed to Lecchi's work, writing a theoretical essay on the principles of

hydrostatics Fluid statics or hydrostatics is the branch of fluid mechanics that studies the condition of the equilibrium of a floating body and submerged body " fluids at hydrostatic equilibrium and the pressure in a fluid, or exerted by a fluid, on an imm ...

that was inserted into the third part of the work. After the

suppression of the Society of Jesus The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...

Lecchi withdrew from public life. He died in Milan on 24 May 1776.

Works

* ''Theoria lucis, opticam, perspectivam, catoptricam, dioptricam complectens'', Milan, 1739. *''Avvertenze contrapposte alla Storia del probabilismo scritta dal padre Daniello Concina, e indirizzate ad un erudito cavaliere'', Johann Eberhard Kalin, 1744. * * *''Elementa geometriae theoricae, et practicae. Ad usum universitatis Braydensis'', 2 vols., Milan, Giuseppe Marelli, 1753-1754. * * ''Piano della separazione, inalveazione e sfogo de' tre torrenti di Tradate, del Gardaluso e del Bozzente'', Milan, 1762. * * ''Idrostatica esaminata ne' suoi principj e stabilita nelle sue regole della misura dell'acque corrente'', Milan, G. Marelli, 1765. * * * * * * Repr. Giovanni Silvestri, 1824. * * * * Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio - Riflessioni spettanti a' ripari necessarj per mantere l'imboccatura del Ticino nel canale detto il Naviglio grande di Milano, 1757 BEIC 6305541.tiff, ''Riflessioni spettanti a' ripari necessarj per mantere l'imboccatura del Ticino nel canale detto il Naviglio grande di Milano'', 1757 Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio - Del riparo de' pennelli alle rive del Po di Cremona, 1758 - BEIC 6305658.tiff, ''Del riparo de' pennelli alle rive del Po di Cremona'', 1758 Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio - Delle origini delle inondazioni del Redefosso, 1761 - BEIC 6305319.tiff, ''Delle origini delle inondazioni del Redefosso'', 1761 Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio – Sentimento sullo stesso soggetto in sequela d'altra controversia sul Cremonese, 1764 - BEIC 1318211.jpg, ''Sentimento sullo stesso soggetto in sequela d'altra controversia sul Cremonese'', 1764 Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio – Relazione della visita alle terre danneggiate dalle acque di Bologna, Ferrara e Ravenna, 1767 - BEIC 2046324.tiff, ''Relazione della visita alle terre danneggiate dalle acque di Bologna, Ferrara e Ravenna'', 1767 Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio – Memorie idrostatico-storiche. 1, 1773 - BEIC 11325832.tif, ''Memorie idrostatico-storiche'', vol. I, 1773 Giovanni Antonio Lecchi – Relazione dello stato presente del canale di Muzza, nd - BEIC 13332353.tif, ''Relazione dello stato presente del canale di Muzza'', n.d. Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio – Considerazioni intorno alla terza diversione del torrente Redefosso, nd - BEIC 13332740.tiff, ''Considerazioni intorno alla terza diversione del torrente Redefosso'', n.d.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lecchi, Giovanni Antonio 1702 births 1776 deaths 18th-century Italian mathematicians 18th-century Italian physicists Italian engineers Hydraulic engineers 18th-century Italian Jesuits Scientists from Milan Engineers from Milan Jesuit scientists 18th-century Italian writers 18th-century Italian male writers