Cosimo De Giorgi or Arcangelo Cosimo De Giorgi (9 February 1842 – 22 December 1922) was an Italian scientist.

Biography

Early life and education

Cosimo De Giorgi completed his early studies in

Martano Martano (Griko: , translit. ; Salentino: ) is a town and ''comune'' of 9,573 inhabitants in the province of Lecce in Apulia, Italy, from Lecce and from Otranto. It is the biggest town of Grecìa Salentina, a Greek-speaking area where some i ...

, his home town, and then continue them in

Lecce Lecce ( ); el, label=Griko, Luppìu, script=Latn; la, Lupiae; grc, Λουπίαι, translit=Loupíai), group=pron is a historic city of 95,766 inhabitants (2015) in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Lecce, the province ...

at the Real Collegio of the Jesus. After completing his school studies he moved, with a daring journey (eight days for the only portion Lecce-Napoli), in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

, where he attend the University of Pisa

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

, following the family tradition. There, on 14 June 1864, he graduated in medicine. Then, he attend the Higher Institute of Florence in 1865 to specialize in medicine and surgery in the next year. Meanwhile, in the intention to continue their studies abroad, he had learned English, French and German. But the prospect faded early due to a family tragedy: in 1867 his father died for

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

. De Giorgi was forced to return to Lizzanello. Therefore, taken the medical profession and settled in

with his mother and two brothers.

Activity

Throughout his life he integrated the medical profession, the teaching profession at the School Tecnico-Normale of

(since 1870) and at the Educatorio Femminile (since 1875). He later added to these intensive research and study in the fields of paleontology,

archeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

, geography, hydrography, meteorology, geology, seismology, agriculture and hygiene.

Awards and honors

In 1880 he was awarded the title of Knight of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

In 1898, at the suggestion of Father

Francesco Denza Francesco Denza (7 June 1834 – 14 December 1894) was an Italian meteorologist and astronomer. Biography Francesco Denza was born on 7 June 1834 in Naples. He joined the Barnabites at the age of sixteen, and during his theological course at Rome ...

, he was appointed member of the Pontifical Academy of the New Lynxes. He was vice president of the Italian Meteoric Association. There is a school in Lecce, Liceo Scientifico C. De Giorgi, named in his honor. The municipality of Lizzanello has dedicated the Middle School and the way in which he was born.

Publications

Cosimo De Giorgi published many works connected to his researches and studies. These publications are conserved in the ''Fondo de Giorgi'' at Biblioteca Provinciale ''N. Bernardini'' of Lecce. A bibliography of Cosimo De Giorgi's collection is: * Antonio Caiuli (cured by), ''Bibliografia di Cosimo De Giorgi'', Congedo Editore, Galatina, 2002 . Some of his works are recently published: * ''La Provincia di Lecce –Bozzetti di viaggio''. Editore Giuseppe Spacciante, Lecce, 1882, (reprinted by Congedo Editore, Galatina, 1975) * ''Viaggio nel Cilento''. Giuseppe Galzerano Editore. 1995 (original title: ''Da Salerno al Cilento''. M. Cellini & C., Firenze, 1882) * ''Cilento - Geologia, Idrografia''. Giuseppe Galzerano Editore, 2003 Cosimo De Giorgi's correspondence: * Ennio De Simone, Epistolario di Cosimo De Giorgi: regesti, , Galatina, EdiPan, 2003, . * Ennio De Simone, Carteggi di Cosimo De Giorgi: regesti e lettere scelte, Galatina, EdiPan, 2007, . Additional works: * ''Tracce d'antichità preistoriche nella Messapia''. ''Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana'', 1882, 8, pp. 194–200. * ''Un monumento arcaico ed una stazione con selcin megalitiche in Basilicata''. ''Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana'', 1880, 6, pp. 77–79 * ''Un gruppo di dolmen fra Calimera e Melendugno in Terra d'Otranto''. ''Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana'', 1911, 37, pp. 6–16 * ''I monumenti megalitici in Terra d'Otranto''. Napoli, 1879 * ''I menhirs in Terra d'Otranto''. Roma, 1880 * ''Monumenti del XV e XVI secolo nel Cilento''. Roma, 1881 * ''Ricerche sul clima di Lecce''. Lecce, 1982 * ''Antichità preistoriche della Messapia''. Reggio Emilia, 1882 * ''Una carta topografica delle paludi e della malaria forte e debole in Terra d'Otranto''. Lecce, 1884 * ''Note statistiche sul clima di Lecce''. Lecce, 1885 * ''Note sull'idrografia della provincia di Lecce''. Lecce, 1886 * ''Nuovi studi e ricerche sul clima della penisola salentina''. Lecce, 1887 * ''La meteorologia e le sue applicazioni''. Lecce, 1888 * ''L'Osservatorio di Lecce: sua storia''. Lecce, 1888 * ''Note e ricerche sui materiali edilizi adoperati nella provincia di Lecce''.Bari, 1901 * ''Cenni autobiografici''. Lecce, 1914

Bibliography

* Università di Lecce
Il Salento e la scienza
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giorgi, Cosimo De 1922 deaths 1842 births 19th-century Italian scientists People from Lecce University of Pisa alumni