- Giacopo Belgrado
Giacopo Belgrado, (
Udine November 16 ,1704 ; died in the same city,March 26 ,1789 ) ItalianJesuit and natural philosopher. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02407b.htm Giacopo Belgrado] -Catholic Encyclopedia article]Giacopo belonged to a noble family and received his education at
Padua . He entered the novitiate of theSociety of Jesus 16 October, 1723, and showed marked talent, studying mathematics and philosophy atBologna , under FatherLuigi Marchenti , a former pupil ofPierre Varignon at Paris. After completing his philosophical studies he taught letters for several years atVenice .He studied theology at
Parma and then became professor of mathematics and physics at the university, holding this position for twelve years. While at Parma he did much experimental work in physics with apparatus specially constructed by two of his assistants. After pronouncing his solemn vows on 2 February, 1742, Belgrado was summoned to the court, where he was appointed confessor, first to the Duchess, and later to theDuke Don Philippo , The title of mathematician of the court was also bestowed on him. He 1757 he erected an observatory on one of the towers of the college of Parma and furnished it with the necessary instruments. In 1773, he became rector of the college atBologna . He was a member of most of the academies of Italy and a corresponding member of theFrench Academy of Sciences . He was likewise one of the founders of the Arcadian colony of Parma.Main works
He wrote on a variety of subjects, among his works being
* "I Fenomeni Elettrici" (1749);
* "Della riflessione de' corpi dall' acqua e della diminuzione della mole de' sassi ne torrebti e ne' fiumi" (1755);
* "De analyseos vulgaris usu in re physica" (1761-62);
* "Delle sensazioni del freddo e del calore" (1764);
* "Theoria Cochleae Archimedis" (1967);
* "Dell' esistenza di Dio da' teoremi geometrici" (1777)References
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