Franciscus Barocius

Francesco Barozzi (or in Latin Barocius) attended school in Padua, then he studied at the University of Padua where mathematics was part of his course. He inherited a very extensive estate in Crete so he became a man of independent means. He does not appear to have held any posts, although he did lecture at the University of Padua in 1559. For most of his life he lived in Venice although he spent some periods on his estate in Crete.

Barozzi was part of a movement to revive science by studying Greek texts. He translated Proclus's edition of Euclid's Elements which was published in Venice in 1560. He translated many other works by Heron, Pappus and Archimedes.

Barozzi wrote his own books too; for example one on 13 ways to draw two parallel lines. He published Cosmographia in 1585. He corresponded with a number of mathematicians including Clavius.

Barozzi was tried by the Inquisition and found guilty in around 1583. In 1587 he was again brought before the Inquisition and charged with causing a torrential rain storm in Crete. Found guilty of this Barozzi had to provide silver crosses at the cost of 100 ducats and received a suspended prison sentence.

References (3 books/articles)

References elsewhere in this archive:

There is a Crater Barocius on the moon. You can see a list of lunar features named after mathematicians.

Other Web sites:

Rice University, USA