List of Italian inventions

Italian inventions and discoveries are objects, processes or techniques invented, innovated or discovered, partially or entirely, by Italians.

Italian people – living in the Italic peninsula or abroad – have been throughout history the source of important inventions and innovations in the fields of writing, calendar, mechanical and civil engineering, musical notation, celestial observation, perspective, warfare, long distance communication, storage and production of energy, modern medicine, polymerization and information technology.

Italians also contributed in theorizing civil law, scientific method (particularly in the fields of physics and astronomy), double-entry bookkeeping, mathematical algebra and analysis, classical and celestial mechanics. Often, things discovered for the first time are also called inventions and in many cases, there is no clear line between the two.

The following is a list of inventions, innovations or discoveries known or generally recognized to be Italian.

Alphabetical list of Italian Inventions

A

* Aircraft with tractor configuration propeller: the world's first airplane having a "Tractor" configuration, propeller on the front, was the Goupy No.2 (first flight on 11 March 1909) designed by Mario Calderara and financed by Ambroise Goupy at the French firm Blériot Aéronautique. At the time, it was the fastest airplane in existence. Later, this solution became the most common type of biplane used in the First World War.
* Amici prism invented by Giovan Battista Amici
* Amici roof prism invented by Giovan Battista AmiciRonchi, Vasco (1970). "Amici, Giovan Battista". Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 135-137. .
*Anatomical theatre, used for teaching anatomy in early modern universities; the first one being at the university of Padova (1595).
* Anemometer, developed by Leon Battista Alberti in 1450.
* Arduino, an open source computer hardware and software company, project, and user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control objects in the physical world. It is now becoming an essential component for building AI Robots. It was created in 2003.
*Automatic rifle: the Cei-Rigotti is considered the first practical automatic rifle.

B

* Bank: the Bank of San Giorgio opened for business in Genoa, Italy in 1149.
* Barometer, invented by Evangelista Torricelli in 1644.
* Electrochemical battery, constructed by Alessandro Volta in 1800, also known as Voltaic pile.

C

* Calculator (programmable): the Programma 101, one of the first desktop electronic programmable calculators, was designed by a small team led by Pier Giorgio Perotto of Olivetti, between 1962 and 1964 and launched in 1965.
* Dipped candle: Romans made candles using rendered animal fat (called tallow), beginning around 500 BC.
*Caprotti valve gear, a valve design that found significant application in steam locomotives.
*Carbon paper, invented by Pellegrino Turri in 1806Adler, Michael H. (1973) The writing machine (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.)
*Casino: the first public, legal and government-owned casino was a Venetian four-story gambling house called " Ridotto", opened in 1638.
*Julian calendar, later perfected by Luigi Lilio becoming the Gregorian calendar, which is today's internationally accepted civil calendar, also known as the Western or Christian calendar.
*Cardan suspension of a gimbal, named after the Italian inventor Gerolamo Cardano (1501–1576), who described the device in detail. This device made inertial navigation possible.
*Cello, with 'The King Violoncello' by Andrea Amati being the earliest known bass instrument of the violin family to survive.
*Centrifugal Pump: the first machine that could be characterized as a centrifugal pump was a mud lifting machine that appeared as early as 1475 in a treatise by the Italian Renaissance engineer Francesco di Giorgio Martini.
* Codex: is the precursor of modern books, having defined the reference format of virtually all the books of Western civilization. Invented during Roman times, its adoption was later spread by Christianity.
*(Modern Diesel) Common Rail designed by researcher Mario Ricco of the FIAT Group.
*Proportional compass: generally featuring a proportional scale, it could be used for calculus of infinitesimals and proportions of geometric figures. There are three types:
**''Reduction compass'', developed by Commandino Federico (inventor of the ''polymetric compass'') and Joost Bürgi.
**''Proportional eight spikes compass,'' invented by Fabrizio Mordente and used by G. Bruno in his research of the physical minimum.
**''Flat hands compass'', such as Galilei's one.
*Roman concrete: for edification purposes, more resilient than modern concrete.
*Confetti: initially meaning a type of sweet, then used for analogy to indicate little chalk balls used in Italy during carnival festivities. Mangilli di Crescenzago (Milan) is credited as an early inventor of paper confetti.
* Connecting rod, a device invented by Roman engineers to transform circular motion into linear motion.
* Corvus: Roman naval boarding device.
*Composite order: Imperial Roman form of the Corinthian order.

D

* Dental fillings: First mentioned by Cornelius Celsus in the 1st century AD.
* Dentures: the first dentures were developed by the Etruscans in 700 BC
*''Di Pietro air engine:'' a pneumatic engine built by Angelo Di Pietro, which require very low pressure to start rotation. This engine produces almost no vibration, internal wear or friction and is potentially useful for a wide range of environment-friendly applications. In 2004, it has 100% more efficiency than any other air engine to that date. It also represents the first air engine that could be applied in transportation.
* Dipleidoscope: invented by Giovan Battista Amici.
* Dollying: to move a camera on a dolly, esp. toward or away from the subject being filmed or televised. Giovanni Pastrone first used this method in 1914.
* Doppio Borgato, a musical instrument which is a variation of the piano
* Double-entry bookkeeping system (for accounting), developed in the mercantile city-states of medieval Italy and first documented by Lucas de Burgo in Venice. Perfected by Amatino Mannucci in the 14th century. The actual invention could have been Roman or Asiatic. Anyway, the system reached a huge diffusion as a consequence of Italian use and theorisation, with '' Summa de Arithmetica'' containing the rules of double-entry, the first example of calculating a neperian logarithm as well as early examples of probability calculus.
* Doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent invented by Farmitalia Spa in the 1950s.
*D-Shape, a new 3D printer capable of printing entire buildings invented in 2004 by Enrico Dini.

E

*Eau de Cologne: perfume developed by Johann Maria Farina in 1709.
* Electroplating, a manufacturing technique invented by Luigi Valentino Brugnatelli in 1805. He pioneered galvanoplastic experiments, introducing the technique of electroplating. His acquaintance with A. Volta played an important role in his scientific career. He hypothesized that in the chemical pile there was also a transport of atoms, obtaining experimental evidence of this. He discovered the properties of coal cathodes as electrical conductors and succeeded in covering them with a metallic layer. He sensed the possible applications in the industrial field, sharing this procedure with a Pavese goldsmith, who used it.
* Encyclopedia: from the Greek ''enkýklios paidèia,'' meaning a set of doctrines constituting a complete education. The comprehensive works of Aristotle can be considered ''encyclopedic'' (covering politics, rhetoric, ethic, aesthetic, psychology, biology, math). The first Latin encyclopedia was written by Cato the Elder in an attempt to mitigate the influence of Greek culture. He wrote for his son an "encyclopedia" of what he believed to be the necessary subjects for the Roman citizen: agriculture, rhetoric, medicine, law and warfare. Marcus T. Varro wrote a second, more complete and systematic encyclopedia, covering nine disciplines: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, musical theory, medicine, and architecture. Plinius the Elder wrote '' Historia naturalis,'' the first encyclopedia to survive as a complete work. Marziano F. Capella wrote an allegoric encyclopedia in prose and verses, ''De nuptiis Mercurii et Philologiae'.'' These encyclopedias, along with the works of Cassiodorus and Boethius, paved the way for the medieval seven liberal arts.
* Epidemiology ''(innovated)'': Roman scholar Marcus Varro mentioned microorganisms as a possible causal agent of diseases. Girolamo Fracastoro, in the mid 16th century, was the first one to scientifically state the real nature of germs, infection, and contagious ways of disease transmission. He attributed the causes of diseases to very small living particles, invisible to the eye. They were considered vulnerable to fire, capable of self multiplying as well as spreading by air.
* Espresso machine
**first prototype invented by Angelo Moriondo in 1884 in Turin.
** (piston driven model) invented by Achille Gaggia in 1945.
* Estimo: discipline, part of economic science, which establishes the logical and methodological principles allowing a reasoned, objective and generally valid formulation of the esteem of the monetary value of economic goods. The first estimative surveys of a normative character took shape with the Italian ''Catasti a Valore'' (translated, land-value registers), called ''Estimi a Apprezzi.'' Florentine estimate method was already codified in the thirteenth century. From the sixteenth century the land, merchant and then civil esteems of the capital began to spread in Italy. The first modern treaty on Estimo was ''Trattato della stima dei Beni Stabili'' by Cosimo Trinci, who introduced the concept of ''ascending and descendin
influences
' on the capitalization rate according to the different land's characteristics. Also see Roman Cadastre.
* Eudiometer, invented by Alessandro Volta and Marsilio Landriani. Thanks to this instrument Lavoisier discovered the chemical composition of water.
* Eyeglasses: originating from Italy, the eyeglasses were perhaps the invention of an unidentified Venetian glassmaker of the 13th century. The research of Roger Bacon on magnifying glasses probably aided their future development.

F

* Film festival: founded as ''Esposizione d’Arte Cinematografica'', the Venice Film Festival was established in 1932.
* Forlanini helicopter, first engine-powered helicopter. A steam powered helicopter which first flew in 1877, designed by Enrico Forlanini in Milan. This has represented the first heavier-than-air aircraft lifting from the ground with autonomous means. Italian engineering will further develop the helicopter: on 7 April 1925 Corradino d'Ascanio patented the helicopter with two coaxial propellers. Other patents and inventions related to the aeronautical world followed.
* Firefighting: The earliest firefighters were in the city of Rome. In 60 A.D., Roman emperor Nero established a corps of Vigiles, to protect Rome from disastrous fires.

G

*Galleon ''(origins):'' historical evidence suggests that this iconic type of ship was pioneered by the early 16th century Venetians and later spread to Iberian Peninsula, where it became widely adopted and further developed.
* Gelato: the Renaissance alchemist Cosimo Ruggieri created the first gelato flavor at the Medici's court, in Florence: the 'fior di latte'. The architect Bernardo Buontalenti invented the 'egg cream' gelato. In 1903 Italo Marchioni patended a machine for producing the gelato cone.
* (Modern) giro system: a payment transfer from one bank account to another bank account initiated by the payer, not the payee. The first occurrences of book money can be traced back in Northern Italy and, in particular, in Venice.
*Geothermal power plant, the first one being built in Tuscany (1904) by Piero Ginori Conti. The first Italian industrial use of geothermal energy dates 1827.
*Ghetto, with the institution of the Venetian Ghetto early in 1516.
*Gondola, a typical Venetian boat.
* Grappling hook: The device was invented by the Romans in approximately 260 BC.
*Guildhall: The first guildhalls appeared in Rome.

H

* Herbarium, intended as a collection of plants classified under scientific methods, was first established in Bologna in 1534 by Luca Ghini.
*Holocene calendar, a calendar obtained by adding 10000 years to the current Gregorian calendar, first proposed by Cesare Emiliani in 1993.
* Hydrofoil, a lifting surface that operates in water: Enrico Forlanini developed and patented around 1900 a "ladder" foil system.
* Hyper Search: a type of web search engine based on link analysis invented in 1997 by Massimo Marchiori, whose algorithm played an important role in the development of Google page ranking.

I

* Induction motor: Galileo Ferraris invented the AC commutator-free three-phase induction motor. He was the first one to demonstrate this invention in 1885; around the same time, Nikola Tesla