Johannes Opirinus, the Latinized form of Johann Herbst, was born in 1507 to a poor family in Basel. His artist father could not pay to educate his son, so he home-schooled the boy until the talented youth was accepted to a boarding school for scholars in Strasburg.
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A Gift from the Renaissance: Andreas Vesalius’ Fabrica, (Part 2)
Andreas Vesalius’ Published works
In 1543, Andreas Vesalius published his masterwork the Fabrica and the accompanying Epitome, a pictorial guide with minimal description, like his earlier Tabulae Sex. It was intended as a companion guide to create a complete course of instruction in anatomy, from basic to advanced. We know that Andreas Vesalius performed the dissections and was a good enough draftsman to make
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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua, Part 6
DiCapua compound
Lionardo DiCapua’s story
Pictured above is the DiCapua compound in Bagnoli, Irpino. The plaque was placed in 2017 on the 400th anniversary of his birth. It reads: “In this house on the 10th of August 1617 was born Lionardo DiCapua Renowned Physician, Scientist, Philosopher Opposed to Every Form of Dogmatism, Affirming the Primacy of Liberal Thinking.”
unanswered questions
In the last post, I began listing the reasons why I wrote From Superstition to Science as historical fiction rather than pure history. I listed a few unanswered questions regarding Lionardo’s life, and I’ll continue with the others.
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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua (Part 3)
ITALIAN CLASSES
The unlikely discovery of the The DiCapua Family Crest.
Adele Lord moved to Seattle from Campobasso, Italy after World War II with her since deceased husband, Will Lord. He had been an ambulance driver for the British Army as it marched up the eastern side of the Italian peninsula. They met and were married in Campobasso then returned to Will’s hometown of Seattle. Adele told me that she began studying English in Italy but really learned it by reading Perry Mason novels.
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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua: Part 2
I returned to Bagnoli, Irpino with my family two years after my first visit (as recounted in part 1) anxious to show my wife, Susie, and my two young children (Emily age 6 and Sam age 4) the bust of their great ancestor in the square named after him. So, immediately after settling into our hotel, I walked with them to Lionardo’s piazza.
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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua: Part 1
My quest to learn all that I might about a famous maternal relative, born in Italy in 1617, began accidentally when I was a child living in Farrell, Pennsylvania. My mother’s two sisters lived near us, and it was during a visit to the house of the oldest sister, Aunt Maime, that I first heard about our remarkable ancestor, Lionardo DiCapua.
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