Giuseppe Maria Giovene (23 January 1753 – 2 January 1837) was an Italian
archpriest,
naturalist,
agronomist
An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the ...
,
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althoug ...
,
meteorologist
A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists in research, while t ...
,
entomologist and
ichthyologist.
[ elogio-storico, pag. 9, note 8] He is best known for his studies on the "nitrosity" of
Pulo di Molfetta
Pulo di Molfetta is a doline located on the Murge plateau, in Apulia, southern Italy, around south-west of the city of Molfetta. It originated due to the collapse of the ceiling of one or more caves. It shares the local toponym ''pulo'' with ot ...
, which made him famous abroad, so as to be cited and appreciated by many Italian and foreign scholars, including
Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann
Eberhardt August Wilhelm von Zimmermann (August 17, 1743, Uelzen – July 4, 1815, Braunschweig) was a German geographer and zoologist.
He studied natural philosophy and mathematics in Leiden, Halle, Berlin, and Göttingen, and in 1766 was ...
in a French publication.
His scientific research, mainly focused
agronomy,
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and
meteorology
Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...
, were not just theoretical and aimed at the mere research of natural phenomena, but their goal was to develop and improve agriculture in the
Kingdom of Naples; this was a common feature of the scientific works of the earliest scientists of the
Kingdom of Naples.
He was member of many academies, among which the ''
Società italiana delle scienze'' and, because of his being a polymath, he's been described as an "encyclopaedic mind".
He was also a clergyman, and he held many important positions, including those of
archpriest and
apostolic vicar
Apostolic may refer to:
The Apostles
An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission:
*The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles
*Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Chur ...
.
[ elogio-giovene, pagg. 18, note I and pag. 19] He also became interested in
numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.
Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...
, and he collected ancient coins and medallions, and he also possessed a collection of ancient Italo-Greek vases (called ''etruschi'').
[ elogio-giovene, pag. 20][ necrologio-giovene, pag. 49] He was also a spirit devoted to charity and modesty, so much that sometimes he preferred not to publish his articles, which were published by his colleagues, such as abbot
Ciro Saverio Minervini Ciro may refer to:
*Ciro (given name), a list of the people who share the Italian and Spanish given name
*Ćiro (given name), a list of the people who share the Croatian given name
*Ciro (opera), 1654 opera by Francesco Cavalli
*Cyrus Cuneo (1879-1 ...
.
He was one of the first scientists of
Apulia and he exhibited remarkable scientific skills, helping to eradicate "the prejudice against the good Apulian people of their being lazy and ignorant." His research activity was carried out using modern methods of observation and experimentation, "following the maxims of
Galileo". "He liked to read the observations carried out by others, but he also liked to see the whole procedure with his own eyes".
Life
Early life
Giuseppe Maria Giovene was born in Molfetta on 23 January 1753, son to Giovanni Giovene and Antonia Graziosi. His father, before dying, entrusted him to the bishop of
Molfetta
Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.
History
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...
Celestino Orlandi,
[ necrologio-giovene, pag. 35] who instructed him up to the age of 8 and subsequently he studied with Jesuit clerics, who then lived in the ''Gran Collegio di Molfetta''. Giovene studied there until the age of 12. In 1766, he went to Rome where he was admitted to the Jesuit novitiate, although he wasn't old enough, but after only eight months the Jesuit order was suppressed and the Jesuits expelled from the
Kingdom of Naples. Giovene wanted to follow the
Jesuits
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
abroad but he couldn't because of an illness.
During his childhood, he showed he did not love "juvenile amusements" and he preferred to adiscuss with learned men. When he returned to Molfetta after recovering from his illness, he studied philosophy and mathematics in the seminary of Molfetta under the direction of bishop Celestino Orlandi. Among other things he also studied law, and, as a boy, he began to show a predisposition for the natural sciences. He went to Naples, when he was only a cleric, and was recommended to
Ciro Saverio Minervini Ciro may refer to:
*Ciro (given name), a list of the people who share the Italian and Spanish given name
*Ćiro (given name), a list of the people who share the Croatian given name
*Ciro (opera), 1654 opera by Francesco Cavalli
*Cyrus Cuneo (1879-1 ...
[ necrologio-giovene, pag. 36] and there he met learned and famous naturalists, such as
Vincenzo Petagna
Vincenzo Petagna (Naples, 17 January 1734 – 6 October 1810) was an Italian biologist, physician and entomologist. He was appointed as director of the small botanical garden pertaining to the Monastery of Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto (associate ...
. He also loved to discuss with his fellow citizens and naturalists,
Giuseppe Saverio Poli
Giuseppe Saverio Poli (26 October 17467 April 1825) was an Italian physicist, biologist and natural historian.
His collections, together with those stored in the Royal Bourbon Museum, were the foundation of the Zoological Museum of Naples. T ...
and
Ciro Saverio Minervini Ciro may refer to:
*Ciro (given name), a list of the people who share the Italian and Spanish given name
*Ćiro (given name), a list of the people who share the Croatian given name
*Ciro (opera), 1654 opera by Francesco Cavalli
*Cyrus Cuneo (1879-1 ...
.
Return to Molfetta
In 1773, he returned to Molfetta,
[ necrologio-giovene, pag. 37] and the bishop of Molfetta who had instructed him, Celestino Orlandi, wanted him to become a priest of the parish of the
Church of Saint Stephen, in
Molfetta
Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.
History
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...
. Despite Giovene's resistance, the bishop eventually forced him to participate in the parish priest's selection contest, which Giovene won. At that moment, however, Celestino Orlandi, his childhood tutor, died, and at that time he wrote the funeral praise ''Orazione pei solenni funerali di D. Celestino Orlandi'' (1775).
[ elogio-storico, pagg. 4-5]
In the meantime,
Gennaro Antonucci was appointed as new bishop of Molfetta, who wanted him to be his apostolic vicar, probably because of his fame or his experience. Meanwhile, Giovene did not despise to help the poor, orphans, offering them free legal advice to protect against the abuses of the powerful. At that time, he was also in charge of teaching law at the Molfetta seminary. In order to become a vicar, he had to be a graduate, and thus he went to
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
to fulfill his duties. Once there, he took the chance to discuss with the scholars about art and natural history. Despite his many commitments, he always found time to devote himself to natural history.
He was also appointed archpriest of the former
Molfetta Cathedral.
The year 1799
During the
Parthenopean Republic
The Parthenopean Republic ( it, Repubblica Partenopea, french: République Parthénopéenne) or Neapolitan Republic (''Repubblica Napoletana'') was a short-lived, semi-autonomous republic located within the Kingdom of Naples and supported by the ...
(1799), Giovene's friend
Giuseppe Saverio Poli
Giuseppe Saverio Poli (26 October 17467 April 1825) was an Italian physicist, biologist and natural historian.
His collections, together with those stored in the Royal Bourbon Museum, were the foundation of the Zoological Museum of Naples. T ...
followed king
Ferdinand IV of Naples
Ferdinand I (12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand I ...
to Sicily, and he entrusted to Giovene his house, his library, his tools and everything he owned. Giovene could not prevent the depredation made by force by some pro-French officers of the short-lived Parthenopean Republic. Many rare samples of natural history, such as "the wax tablets of the testaceous", ended up in the
Paris Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences (French: ''Académie des sciences'') is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research. It was at th ...
.
The vicariate in Lecce and his return to Molfetta
His fame reached as far as pope
Pius VII
Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...
, who chose him for the
diocese of Lecce. Giovene did not want to accept that further burden, but his refusal was not considered, thus he was appointed
apostolic vicar
Apostolic may refer to:
The Apostles
An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission:
*The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles
*Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Chur ...
of Lecce from about 1806 to 1816.
In this period, he was also appointed capitular vicar of
Otranto
Otranto (, , ; scn, label=Salentino, Oṭṛàntu; el, label= Griko, Δερεντό, Derentò; grc, Ὑδροῦς, translit=Hudroûs; la, Hydruntum) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a ferti ...
and
Oria and he turned out to rule over most of the churches in the
Province of Lecce
The Province of Lecce ( it, Provincia di Lecce; Salentino: ) is a province in the Apulia region of Italy whose capital is the city of Lecce. The province is called the "Heel of Italy". Located on the Salento peninsula, it is the second most-p ...
.
[ necrologio-giovene, p. 46]
In 1817, he returned to Molfetta, wishing to be able to enjoy a quiet, peaceful life, but he was immediately assigned new tasks. He was also apostolic vicar of the bishop of Molfetta
Gennaro Antonucci, successor to the bishop Celestino Orlandi.
Alongside the study of science, he also cultivated
numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.
Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...
, collecting coins and medallions of all kinds, and he also collected ancient Italo-Greek vases (called "Etruscan"),
apparently not for vanity, but for historical purposes. He also wrote poetry and wrote in Latin. He also taught
experimental physics,
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
and
sacred liturgy in the seminary of Molfetta.
In particular, Giovene could use, during the teachings of experimental physics, the many tools provided by his friend
Giuseppe Saverio Poli
Giuseppe Saverio Poli (26 October 17467 April 1825) was an Italian physicist, biologist and natural historian.
His collections, together with those stored in the Royal Bourbon Museum, were the foundation of the Zoological Museum of Naples. T ...
. His students also held a demonstration in the large courtyard of the bishop's palace and seminary of
Molfetta
Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.
History
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...
, during which experiments were conducted relating to electricity, air, gas, during which the use of pneumatic and electric tools aroused the curiosity of people of any kind. The experiments conducted by the students of Giovene were not even conducted by the local university at that time. This helped to increase the prestige of the seminary.
Last years
In 1820, he was also appointed member of the newly born constitutional parliament of the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for a few months.
[ memorie-storiche-1844, pag. 151] Even in the last decade of his life he kept on being updated and reading books and newspapers. During this time, he became deaf, which made it difficult for him to communicate with others; moreover he began to suffer from paralysis to the bladder and the cataract came him to his left eye.
[ necrologio-giovene, pag. 50] For this reason he had to be helped to know the progress of the sciences and letters.
He also wrote a few books about religion and in addition, in the last part of his life, he was asked by the bishop of Molfetta
Caracciolo Caracciolo () is an Italian surname most associated with the noble House of Carácciolo from the Kingdom of Naples.
Other people with the name include:
* Alberto Caracciolo, Argentinian musician
* Andrea Caracciolo, Italian footballer
* Battiste ...
to write a
hagiography on
Saint Conrad of Bavaria, protector of his hometown
Molfetta
Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.
History
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...
. In order to write the book, he had to consult medieval sources and, in order to do so, he went to northern Italy and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Pope
Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
read his book and liked it, and thanks to this, Molfetta was granted the official recognition of the cult of Saint Conrad of Bavaria, which had already started in the XII century". His book on the saint also became famous in Germany.
[ elogio-giovene, pagg. 13-14]
He died in Molfetta on January 2, 1837. His last words were: "Leave me alone with my God." With a letter to his confessor and friend D. Paolo Rotondo, found after his death, forbade any funeral or funeral praises of any kind after his death, and he asked to be buried in
Church of Saint Conrad of Bavaria.
The funeral praise, however, was eventually read in the
Church of Saint Conrad of Bavaria and it was printed in Naples by his grandnephew Luigi Marinelli Giovene (who also reprinted most of his works in a collection of several volumes entitled ''Raccolta di tutte le opere del cav. Giuseppe Maria Giovene'' 1839–1841). In addition, Giovene himself wrote the epigraph of his own tomb before his death.
Scientific research
The "natural nitrary" of Pulo di Molfetta
The name of Giuseppe Maria Giovene is inextricably linked to the discovery of the so-called "natural
nitrary" ( it, nitriera naturale, which means a natural deposit of
saltpetre
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitra ...
) of
Pulo di Molfetta
Pulo di Molfetta is a doline located on the Murge plateau, in Apulia, southern Italy, around south-west of the city of Molfetta. It originated due to the collapse of the ceiling of one or more caves. It shares the local toponym ''pulo'' with ot ...
.
In 1783, abbot
Alberto Fortis
Alberto Fortis (1741–1803) was a Venetian writer, naturalist and cartographer.
Life
His real name was Giovanni Battista Fortis (his religious name was ''Alberto'') and he was born in Padua on either 9 or 11 of November 1741. He journeyed exten ...
visited
Apulia in order to study the region, and
Ciro Saverio Minervini Ciro may refer to:
*Ciro (given name), a list of the people who share the Italian and Spanish given name
*Ćiro (given name), a list of the people who share the Croatian given name
*Ciro (opera), 1654 opera by Francesco Cavalli
*Cyrus Cuneo (1879-1 ...
appointed Giovene as Fortis' guide. On this occasion, Fortis and Giovene met, and Giovene later told Alberto Fortis about a doline of that region called
Pulo di Molfetta
Pulo di Molfetta is a doline located on the Murge plateau, in Apulia, southern Italy, around south-west of the city of Molfetta. It originated due to the collapse of the ceiling of one or more caves. It shares the local toponym ''pulo'' with ot ...
, in which Giovene believed that there was
saltpetre
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitra ...
. After an inspection, Fortis noted that Giovene had been right and that there was saltpetre in that doline. According to other sources, however, Fortis and Giovene together discovered the "natural nitrary". According to
Zimmermann
Zimmermann is a German occupational surname for a carpenter. The modern German terms for the occupation of carpenter are Zimmerer, Tischler, or Schreiner, but Zimmermann is still used.
''Zimmer'' in German means room or archaically a chamber wi ...
, the discovery was made by
Alberto Fortis
Alberto Fortis (1741–1803) was a Venetian writer, naturalist and cartographer.
Life
His real name was Giovanni Battista Fortis (his religious name was ''Alberto'') and he was born in Padua on either 9 or 11 of November 1741. He journeyed exten ...
, and Giovene just told Fortis about
Pulo di Molfetta
Pulo di Molfetta is a doline located on the Murge plateau, in Apulia, southern Italy, around south-west of the city of Molfetta. It originated due to the collapse of the ceiling of one or more caves. It shares the local toponym ''pulo'' with ot ...
and accompanied him.
The discovery also generated issues; in particular, the discovery was initially challenged by some scholars. Subsequently, chemist
Giuseppe Vairo and his assistant
Antonio Pitaro
Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 40 ...
confirmed the discovery. This undoubtedly damaged producers of artificial saltpetre, and some scholars, most likely supported by the producers, tried to dismiss the discovery. Following the discovery, a large number of naturalists sent by academies from all Europe came to visit
Pulo di Molfetta
Pulo di Molfetta is a doline located on the Murge plateau, in Apulia, southern Italy, around south-west of the city of Molfetta. It originated due to the collapse of the ceiling of one or more caves. It shares the local toponym ''pulo'' with ot ...
, since the saltpeter was a fundamental ingredient in the production of
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...
and that these deposits were of considerable strategic interest.
In particular, in a letter to
Alberto Fortis
Alberto Fortis (1741–1803) was a Venetian writer, naturalist and cartographer.
Life
His real name was Giovanni Battista Fortis (his religious name was ''Alberto'') and he was born in Padua on either 9 or 11 of November 1741. He journeyed exten ...
dated 7 August 1784, Giovene refuted the idea of those who believed that the
saltpetre
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitra ...
of
Pulo di Molfetta
Pulo di Molfetta is a doline located on the Murge plateau, in Apulia, southern Italy, around south-west of the city of Molfetta. It originated due to the collapse of the ceiling of one or more caves. It shares the local toponym ''pulo'' with ot ...
was due to some animals that once inhabited the doline. He also proved to be a talented chemist, and to be even more competent than the salt pans themselves, teaching them to correct the acidity of the ground (containing excessive amounts of "
azotic acid") by adding plant ash.
During a trip with his brother over
Apulia, Giovene noted that saltpetre was abundant in other areas of
Apulia. The trip, together with Giovene's observations were reported in the aforementioned letter of 7 August 1784.
Agronomy and meteorology
In some of his writings, Giovene also studied a disease of olive trees caused by
Pseudomonas savastanoi (in Italian, the disease is called ''rogna dell'ulivo''). The disease can be recognized by the characteristic
tumour
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
. In particular, Giovene recognized that the disease was not caused by insects, although the insects formed. He also distinguished the tumours caused by frost from those generated by hail or blunt bodies. He also carried out some experiments where he boiled branches attacked by the disease, and he came to the conclusion that the tumours which weren't caused by frost were "germs of new twigs or branches suffocated in their birth". He came to this conclusion by cutting the tumours and observing the center. He also studied the worms and insects that "corrode and ravage the orchard."
During his life he also carried out research in
meteorology
Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...
. After the discovery of the "natural nitrary", scholars from many European academies came to Molfetta, and Giovene took the opportunity to meet and discuss with many of them. One of these was
Giuseppe Toaldo, who made him interested in
meteorology
Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...
, as a science useful to regulate agriculture. During his life, Giovene collected atmospheric, rainfall and barometric data, and studied their development. From 1788 to 1797, he wrote, for every year and starting from his observations, a memory of rainfall and their consequences on agriculture. Giovene was also praised by the most illustrious Italian meteorologist of that period,
Giuseppe Toaldo. In particular, if
Giuseppe Toaldo can well be considered the founder of Italian meteorology, Giovene may well consider himself the founder of Italian rural meteorology, so much so that he managed to make some eminent scholars of that period more interested in meteorology, including
Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi
Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi (28 October 1764 – 26 September 1852) was an Italian archdeacon, scientist, mathematician, political economist. He also wrote a book about pedagogy and invented the tonograph.
Life
Born at Altamura, in what is no ...
.
In his study ''Prospetto comparato della pioggia della Puglia'' (1805), Giovene asked his illustrious colleagues to obtain rainfall data for the nearby Apulian cities
Altamura,
Ariano,
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Itali ...
, in addition to data from
Molfetta
Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.
History
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...
provided by Giovene himself.
Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi
Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi (28 October 1764 – 26 September 1852) was an Italian archdeacon, scientist, mathematician, political economist. He also wrote a book about pedagogy and invented the tonograph.
Life
Born at Altamura, in what is no ...
provided data for his city Altamura,
Giovanni Zerella provided data for Ariano, while
Orazio Delfico provided data for Teramo. With his study, Giovene wanted to prove that the amount of rainfall which fell on
Apulia wasn't that different from other European regions (such as some regions of France, which didn't have the same reputation of Apulia as a dry region). Although there are clear differences with other European regions more heavily watered by rain or with the South American city of
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional)
, webs ...
, the biggest difference, according to Giovene, is due to the irregularity of rainfall events.
One of the most innovative aspects of his meteorological studies is certainly that of comparing data that previously were not generally studied together, i.e. atmospheric electricity and atmospheric pressure. For these studies, culminating in his publication ''Osservazioni elettro-atmosferiche e barometriche insieme paragonate'' (1798),
Carlo Amoretti
Carlo Amoretti (born 16 March 1741 in Oneglia, now part of Imperia – died 23 March 1816) was an ecclesiastic, scholar, writer, and scientist.
He entered the Augustinian order in 1757. To further his studies, he went to Pavia and Parma wher ...
stated that Giovene "had provided an invaluable service to meteorology and physics".
[ necrologio-giovene, p. 43]
Moreover, in the ''Discorso meteorologico-campestre per l'anno 1797'' (1798), Giovene had the brilliant and innovative idea that the exceptional event that occurred in 1797, i.e. drought continuing beyond the first days of August (in contrast with the observations of the previous years), could be caused by the decrease in
sunspots, which was observed by astronomers.
Electricity
Giovene also contributed to what was then called ''elettricismo''; in particular, he studied
atmospheric electricity
Atmospheric electricity is the study of electrical charges in the Earth's atmosphere (or that of another planet). The movement of charge between the Earth's surface, the atmosphere, and the ionosphere is known as the global atmospheric electr ...
. He studied the electricity and pressure variation of the atmosphere and he wrote ''Osservazione elettro-atmosferiche e barometriche insieme paragonate'' (1798). Moreover, after reading
Jan Hendrik van Swinden
Jean Henri van Swinden (The Hague, 8 June 1746 – Amsterdam, 9 March 1823) was a Dutch mathematician and physicist who taught in Franeker and Amsterdam.
Biography
His parents were the lawyer Phillippe van Swinden and Marie Anne Tollosan. H ...
's work ''Dissertation on the Irregular Motions of the Magnetic Needle'', he also wrote an annex to the above essay, in which he explained how his observations confirmed Van Swinden's conclusions on the correlation between
atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, ...
,
atmospheric electricity
Atmospheric electricity is the study of electrical charges in the Earth's atmosphere (or that of another planet). The movement of charge between the Earth's surface, the atmosphere, and the ionosphere is known as the global atmospheric electr ...
,
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
and oscillations of the Earth's magnetic field.
Rain dust
Giuseppe Maria Giovene also correctly explained the phenomenon of the so-called red
rain dust
Rain dust or snow dust, traditionally known as muddy rain, red rain, or coloured rain, is a variety of rain (or any other form of precipitation) which contains enough desert dust for the dust to be visible without using a microscope.
History
...
( it, pioggia rossa), fallen on
Apulia on 7 March 1803. It was believed at that time that the rain was caused by the explosion of Italy's volcanoes
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...
or
Etna, or that it was due to the transport of matter coming from the sea floor and raised by vapor. Giuseppe Maria Giovene brilliantly related the phenomenon to the wind occurred prior to the rain event, and he came to the conclusion that the sand came from Africa and that it had been pushed by the wind coming from south-east.
[ elogio-storico, pag. 20]
Entomology
In a paper entitled '' Descrizione e storia della cocciniglia dell'ulivo'' (1807), Giovene also dealt with the insect "
Coccus oleae" (also "
Saissetia oleae"), answering
Giovanni Presta, who denied the existence of the insect in the provinces of
Bari and
Otranto
Otranto (, , ; scn, label=Salentino, Oṭṛàntu; el, label= Griko, Δερεντό, Derentò; grc, Ὑδροῦς, translit=Hudroûs; la, Hydruntum) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a ferti ...
. Giovene showed that the insect was widespread in those regions, albeit rarer. Moreover, Giovene also discovered the male of the cochineal, which wasn't known in much of Europe. In the "Dictionary of natural history" of Paris (1816) (french: Nouveau dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle, appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médecine, etc.) it was written: "the male is not known" (french: Le mâle n' est pas connu).
[ necrologio-giovene, pag. 44, note 3]
He also wrote the work ''Avviso per la distruzione dei vermi che attaccano la polpa delle olive'' (1792), in which he provided some suggestions for the peasants in order to effectively destroy the worms ''
musca oleae'', which infested the pulp of the
olive trees
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...
.
Giovene intended to collect his writings ''Sulla rogna degli ulivi'' (1789), ''Avviso per la distruzione dei vermi che attaccano la polpa delle olive'' (1792), ''Descrizione e storia della cocciniglia dell'ulivo'' (1807) into a single treaty on the diseases of
olive trees
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...
, but he didn't accomplish his initial commitment.
In 1813, he also wrote the work ''Delle cavallette pugliesi'' ("On Apulian
grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
Grasshop ...
").
Ichthyology
Giovene also carried out some research on
ichthyology by studying marine life. He used to ask fishermen to bring him the most uncommon marine species they could find, and he paid for them. He also wrote the works ''Notizie sull'Argonauta Argo del Linneo'' and ''Di alcuni pesci del mare di Puglia'' (1827). In this last work, he showed that some marine species that were considered rare and exotic in reality populated the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
.
Dating the Earth
Giuseppe Maria Giovene never hid his profound religiousness, as well as the contempt for atheism, which he considered to be true "dementia." He also based his assumptions on what was written in the Bible. In this regard, he criticized the new scientific theories according to which the Earth was actually much older than what was written in the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
. In some unpublished speeches held at the Academy of Catholic Religion in Rome (''Accademia di Religione Cattolica in Roma'') – ''Della pretesa antichità del tempo'' and ''Delle lave dell'Etna e degli argomenti che si pretende tirare per la molta antichità della Terra'' – he tried to refute those that Giovene considered distorted interpretations of
natural history.
His work ''Di alcuni pesci del mare di Puglia'' (1827) also contains explicit references to what he considered unnatural interpretations which, through the analysis of the
fossils, dated the Earth too far back ("to imagine centuries without number").
Theology
In his life, Giovene also wrote a few works on
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, including a
hagiography in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
entitled ''Vita Beati Corradi Bavari'' (1836), about the life of
Saint Conrad of Bavaria, and for this purpose he had to travel to
North Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in order to consult medieval sources about the saint. His work was appreciated by
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...
, and it granted the city of
Molfetta
Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.
History
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...
the official recognition of the cult of
Saint Conrad of Bavaria, which had started in
Molfetta
Molfetta (; Molfettese: ) is a town located in the northern side of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.
History
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are a ...
as early as the XII century.
He also wrote a letter to
Saverio Mattei, in which he answered the question Mattei had asked
Giuseppe Vairo on the type of matter
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
referred to in the passage from the
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
where he said to the
apostles ''vos estis sal terrae'' (which means "you are the salt of the earth") Giovene, with reasoning in which he showed his erudition and his knowledge of physics and chemistry, came to the conclusion that Jesus Christ referred to
saltpetre
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitra ...
(
potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitr ...
).
Charity
Giuseppe Maria Giovene was also known for his
altruism, especially towards the poor, orphans, widows and the oppressed. Even though he was busy in his numerous commitments and ecclesiastical assignments as well as in his studies, he managed to find time to offer legal counsel to the poor, especially to those who were oppressed and persecuted by the powerful. Moreover, he often provided them with financial aid. In particular, after the death of his brother, baron Graziano Giovene, he had become rich, and he decided to share it with the poor.
The ''Società italiana delle scienze di Verona''
Due to the death of
Lazzaro Spallanzani
Lazzaro Spallanzani (; 12 January 1729 – 11 February 1799) was an Italian Catholic priest (for which he was nicknamed Abbé Spallanzani), biologist and physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental study of bodily function ...
(1799), he was appointed as his successor in the
Società italiana delle scienze di Verona, thus becoming one of its 40 members and publishing articles in almost every volume of the learned society's proceedings.
Works and scientific publications
*
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*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (continuazione delle precedenti ''Notizie geologiche'')
*
*
*
*
* (after 1807)
*
*
*
*
[ biografia-univ-1841, pag. 152]
* , dopo la morte di Giovene è stato anche tradotto in italiano:
* (pubblicata dopo la morte)
[ col-puloalt-1917, pagg. 4-5, note 2 e 3]
Other works (some of which unpublished, unfinished or never written)
*
[ necrologio-giovene, pag. 51]
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
[ biografia-ital-1838, pag. 280]
*
*
Bibliography
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*
References
External links
Enciclopedia Treccani – Giuseppe Maria GioveneJesuitscience
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giovene, Giuseppe Maria
18th-century Italian scientists
Italian agronomists
18th-century Italian geologists
Italian naturalists
Italian meteorologists
Italian entomologists
Italian ichthyologists
Catholic clergy scientists
People from Molfetta
1753 births
1837 deaths