- New
Wind Chart
| Reference: | A54495 |
| Author | Fabrizio PADOVANI |
| Year: | 1601 |
| Zone: | Wind Chart |
| Printed: | Bologna |
| Measures: | 140 x 140 mm |
€500.00
- New
| Reference: | A54495 |
| Author | Fabrizio PADOVANI |
| Year: | 1601 |
| Zone: | Wind Chart |
| Printed: | Bologna |
| Measures: | 140 x 140 mm |
€500.00
Description
Wind chart taken from the scientific treatise by Fabrizio Padovani titled *Tractatus duo Alter de Ventis Alter Perbrevis de Terraemotu Adiecto Indice copiosissimo*, published in Bologna in 1601.
An elaborate 24-point wind rose stands out at the center of the page; the author uses it to map wind directions alongside the scientific and traditional nomenclature of the era. The text above explains that some authors divide the compass into 24 winds. Among them, it explicitly cites the renowned Roman architect Vitruvius (in Book I, Chapter 6 of *De architectura*) and the German scientist Georgius Agricola (in Book III of *De re metallica*), who assigned a specific name to each wind—names that are visually represented here. The text below highlights the practical utility of this complex geometric configuration for both German sailors (for navigation and steering ships along sea routes) and miners excavating the bowels of the earth. The latter used the wind rose to orient themselves within caverns and to map and describe the course of metal veins.
In the text on the verso, the author addresses natural philosophy and the scientific understanding of global atmospheric phenomena prevalent at the time, integrating classical concepts with geographical data derived from explorations of the New World. Within the Latin text, one can clearly discern significant historical and scientific references to Strabo, Hipparchus, and Agricola.
*Tractatus duo Alter de Ventis Alter Perbrevis de Terraemotu Adiecto Indice copiosissimo* stands as one of the earliest and most ambitious Early Modern studies dedicated entirely to meteorology, the nature of winds, and earthquakes, serving as a bridge between classical natural philosophy and new geographical discoveries.
Padovani, a physician and philosopher from Forlì, bases his work on the Aristotelian theory of exhalations. However, he incorporates accounts and information gathered by navigators traveling between continents, thereby transforming the study of winds into one of the first examples of global science.
Padovani analyzes how each wind acquires hot, cold, dry, or humid properties depending on the geographical zone and climatic belt of its origin. As a physician, he devotes a substantial section to the impact of different winds on human health, noting how they spread disease or alter bodily humors according to latitude.
Etching, in excellent condition. Very rare.
Bibliografia
Riccardi pp. 230-231; Shirley 232.
Fabrizio PADOVANI (attivo tra la seconda metà del XVI secolo e i primi anni del XVII)
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Padovani was an Italian philosopher, physician, and scientist active in Bologna between the 16th and 17th centuries. Although his major work remains renowned in the history of science, specific biographical details about his life are historically fragmentary, as he is remembered primarily for his writings and academic career. While often associated with the academic and scientific circles of Bologna—where he worked and published—Padovani was originally from Forlì. His family’s historical roots actually lay in Padua (the source of their surname); they had fled that city centuries earlier to escape persecution by the tyrant Ezzelino da Romano, subsequently settling in Romagna. In his writings and contemporary historical documents, he was formally designated as a *philosophus ac medicus* (philosopher and physician). At the time, the study of medicine was inextricably linked to natural philosophy and the understanding of the cosmos and terrestrial phenomena. In addition to practicing and earning acclaim in Italy, Padovani lived and worked as a physician in Germany for part of his life. This experience north of the Alps and his contacts with Central Europe profoundly influenced his scientific outlook. Moving beyond the medicine of the human body, Padovani demonstrated a keen interest in mechanics. In his treatise, he provided a detailed account of the practical application of air power, including illustrations of bellows, mills, foundries, and the technological instruments of the era.
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Fabrizio PADOVANI (attivo tra la seconda metà del XVI secolo e i primi anni del XVII)
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Padovani was an Italian philosopher, physician, and scientist active in Bologna between the 16th and 17th centuries. Although his major work remains renowned in the history of science, specific biographical details about his life are historically fragmentary, as he is remembered primarily for his writings and academic career. While often associated with the academic and scientific circles of Bologna—where he worked and published—Padovani was originally from Forlì. His family’s historical roots actually lay in Padua (the source of their surname); they had fled that city centuries earlier to escape persecution by the tyrant Ezzelino da Romano, subsequently settling in Romagna. In his writings and contemporary historical documents, he was formally designated as a *philosophus ac medicus* (philosopher and physician). At the time, the study of medicine was inextricably linked to natural philosophy and the understanding of the cosmos and terrestrial phenomena. In addition to practicing and earning acclaim in Italy, Padovani lived and worked as a physician in Germany for part of his life. This experience north of the Alps and his contacts with Central Europe profoundly influenced his scientific outlook. Moving beyond the medicine of the human body, Padovani demonstrated a keen interest in mechanics. In his treatise, he provided a detailed account of the practical application of air power, including illustrations of bellows, mills, foundries, and the technological instruments of the era.
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