Giovanni Poleni, Italian Polymath

Giovanni Poleni (1683-1761) was an Italian nobleman, physicist, and antiquarian. As an expert in hydraulic engineering he was charged by the Venetian Senate with the care of the waters of lower Lombardy and with the constructions necessary to prevent floods. His knowledge of architecture caused Benedict XIV to call him to Rome in 1748 to examine the cupola of St. Peter's, which was rapidly disintegrating. He promptly indicated the repairs necessary. In 1739 the French Academy of Sciences made him a member, and later the societies of London, Berlin, and St. Petersburg did the same

Restrictions Only for Ireland and United Kingdom

Astronomer Hydraulic Math Nobleman Polymath

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > PHR