Achille Costa (1823-1898), entomologist naturalist explorer: biografical sketch. Achille Costa was born within a family of scientific tradition. His father was the great zoologist Oronzio Gabriele, so he was introduced to the scientific world at a very early age and was able to make the best use of his own, extraordinarily favorable, social and family status. However, in 1849, for political reasons, both, the father and the son, were dismissed from all their academic positions and were prohibited from having any contact with foreign scholars. Achille reacted to this by increasing his own scientific activity. This period of isolation lasted for 12 years. After the conquest of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies by the Kingdom of Sardinia and the birth of the Kingdom of Italy, in 1860 Achille Costa was assigned the Chair of Zoology atNaples University, as well as the directorship of the annexed ZoologicalMuseum. Immediately, and over the next decade, he dedicated himself entirely to his academic and museum work. Around 1870 Achille Costa decreased his own academic performances, attending zealously to the scholarly Societies to which he belonged, to applied entomology, and overall to scientific trips and explorations.With an impressive succession he faced the Gran Sasso and the Majella mountains (1872-73, 1875), travelled to Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Turkey (1873-74), and just after his return went to Monti Alburni (1874). He was the very first naturalist to visit the Sila Grande and Piccola mountains (1876), then Paris (1878), again Calabria (1879) and Palermo (1880). From 1881 to 1885 he carried out his great exploration of Sardinia. Returning to Naples in a poor state of health, from 1886 onwards he began the last period of his life living much more in seclusion.
Achille Costa (1823-1898), entomologo naturalista esploratore: tratteggio biografico
2012
Abstract
Achille Costa (1823-1898), entomologist naturalist explorer: biografical sketch. Achille Costa was born within a family of scientific tradition. His father was the great zoologist Oronzio Gabriele, so he was introduced to the scientific world at a very early age and was able to make the best use of his own, extraordinarily favorable, social and family status. However, in 1849, for political reasons, both, the father and the son, were dismissed from all their academic positions and were prohibited from having any contact with foreign scholars. Achille reacted to this by increasing his own scientific activity. This period of isolation lasted for 12 years. After the conquest of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies by the Kingdom of Sardinia and the birth of the Kingdom of Italy, in 1860 Achille Costa was assigned the Chair of Zoology atNaples University, as well as the directorship of the annexed ZoologicalMuseum. Immediately, and over the next decade, he dedicated himself entirely to his academic and museum work. Around 1870 Achille Costa decreased his own academic performances, attending zealously to the scholarly Societies to which he belonged, to applied entomology, and overall to scientific trips and explorations.With an impressive succession he faced the Gran Sasso and the Majella mountains (1872-73, 1875), travelled to Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Turkey (1873-74), and just after his return went to Monti Alburni (1874). He was the very first naturalist to visit the Sila Grande and Piccola mountains (1876), then Paris (1878), again Calabria (1879) and Palermo (1880). From 1881 to 1885 he carried out his great exploration of Sardinia. Returning to Naples in a poor state of health, from 1886 onwards he began the last period of his life living much more in seclusion.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
