- Bartolomeo Gastaldi
Bartolomeo Gastaldi (1818–1879) was an Italian
geologist andpalæontologist , and one the founders of theClub Alpino Italiano .Gastaldi was born in
Turin , then capital of theKingdom of Sardinia . As a child he developed a passion for fossils; the finds he made during excursions in the areas around Turin andAsti were to form the basis for his extensive collection of fossils and geoplogical specimens. Under pressure from his father he studied law at theUniversity of Turin ; after graduating in 1839 he entered the legal profession.On the death of his father in 1843 he abandoned his legal work and devoted his energies to geology and palaeontology, making field trips in various parts of Italy and in Spain. He spent the years 1849–52 in Paris taking courses at the Ecole des Mines, the
Jardin des Plantes , theCollège de France and theSorbonne . A particular interest wasglaciology . Also at this time he first metQuintino Sella with whom he was to form a lasting friendship.He became professor of
mineralogy and geology at the University of Turin.On
23 October 1863 he, together withQuintino Sella and others, founded theClub Alpino Italiano , the first and largest ItalianAlpine Club , becoming its first vice-president. The following year he was appointed as its second president, an office he held until 1872.In 1870 he was made a member of the Accademia nazionale delle scienze.
Bartolomeo Gastaldi died in Turin in 1879.
Recognitions
The mineral
gastaldite , a type ofglaucophane , is named after him; so too are theRifugio Bartolomeo Gastaldi (amountain hut in theGraian Alps ), the mountain calledCresta Gastaldi in theGran Paradiso group, and thePunta Gastaldi , a peak nearMonviso .References
:"This article includes material translated from [http://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bartolomeo_Gastaldi&oldid=16516522 this version] of its counterpart in the "
Italian Wikipedia "."citation|author=APAT
contribution=Bartolomeo Gastaldi (1818-1879)
title=Virtual museum - Geological and Historical Collections
year=n.d.
url=http://www.museo.apat.it/Bartolomeo_Gastaldi.page
publisher=Agenzia per la Protezione dell'Ambiente e per i servizi Tecnici it.
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