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Leonardo Di CapuaItalian physician and philosopher
Date of Birth: 01.01.1617
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Leonardo di Capua: Italian Physician and Philosopher
- Education and Intellectual Development
- Return to Bagnoli and Focus on Natural Sciences
- Transition to Naples
- Foundation of the Academy of Investigators
- Personal Life
- Later Years and Recognition
- Legacy and Commemoration
Leonardo di Capua: Italian Physician and Philosopher
Early LifeLeonardo di Capua was born on August 10, 1617, in Bagnoli Irpino, Italy, to Cesare and Giovanna Bruno. Despite his family's wealth, he lacked formal instruction beyond basic grammar. Nonetheless, he exhibited a profound passion for Latin, Greek, and rhetoric from a young age. At the age of eleven, in 1628, he lost both his parents and became responsible for his own education.
Education and Intellectual Development
Young Leonardo moved to Naples with his sister, where he attended the Jesuit school for seven years, studying philosophy and theology. At eighteen, he pursued legal studies and later medicine. Capua meticulously studied the "Institutes" of Justinian and the observations of Jacques Cujas, texts that deeply influenced his education, as evidenced by passages in his "Opinion" and "Lectures on the Nature of Mofeta."
Return to Bagnoli and Focus on Natural Sciences
Upon graduating in medicine at the age of 22, Capua returned to Bagnoli with the intention of deepening his knowledge of natural history and anatomy through direct observations on live dissected animals, relying on texts he had studied in Naples. During these years, he developed a critical approach to the inadequacies of existing medical practices.
Transition to Naples
Around the early 1640s, Capua relocated to Naples as a permanent resident. His move was likely influenced by the presence of Tommaso Cornelio, a friend with a background in the Galilean school who guided Capua towards scientific investigations inspired by Galileo Galilei and Descartes, proponents of the emerging experimental philosophy.
Foundation of the Academy of Investigators
Driven by intellectual curiosity, Capua joined with Cornelio, Francesco D'Andrea, and Giovanni Alfonso Borelli to establish the Academy of Investigators around 1650. This philosophical and scientific academy adhered to anti-Aristotelian principles and fostered a culture of scientific research.
Personal Life
At the age of forty, Capua married Annamaria Orilia, who was significantly younger than him. They lived in Naples, and their only daughter was born in 1673 but died shortly after birth. His home became a meeting place for Neapolitan intellectuals associated with the Academy of Investigators.
Later Years and Recognition
Two years before his death, Capua received recognition from Prince Francesco Carafa and was inducted into the Roman Arcadia under the pseudonym Alessi Chilleneo. This honor acknowledged his reputation and scholarly contributions not only in Naples but throughout Italy.
Capua actively participated in the "Trial of the Atheists," an inquisition-led proceeding aimed at combating the spread of new scientific and philosophical ideas. He died in Naples on June 17, 1695, and was buried in the Church of San Pietro a Majella.
Legacy and Commemoration
In 2023, the Municipality of Bagnoli Irpino established the "Leonardo di Capua" National Award to support scientific progress for societal development in collaboration with the European Organization for Cancer Prevention. The award honors scientists who have made substantial contributions to international or national research in any disciplinary area.
