Filippo Bonanni

 Filippo Bonanni (1658-1723) was Italian Jesuit scholar, born in Rome. In 1698 he was appointed curator of the well-known collection of antiquities formed by Athanasius Kircher. Among his many works of erudition are the two-volume Numismata Pontificum Romanorum in (1699), and the Gabinetto Armonico in 1723, a splendid collection of 150 engravings of musical instruments from around the world.

Additional recommended knowledge

Weighing the right way

How to quickly check pipettes?

How to ensure accurate weighing results every day?

Scientific Work Buonanni was an ecclesiastic without true scientific training or experience but he made excellent observations embodied in three works.

• Work on shells

Buonanni was a shell collector and was the author of the first book devoted solely to these animals Ricreatione dell' occhio e della mente. , published in Rome in 1681. [1]

• The defense of spontaneous generation

  Using a three lens microscope Buonanni tried to show that spontaneous generation was possible in animals "without blood and a heart" in contradiction of Francesco Redi ’s experimental work.The compilation of knowledge and quality of illustrations,made Observationes circa Viventia, quae in Rebus non Viventibus an important work.

• The cabinet of curiosities of Kircher

Buonanni published a catalogue of the cabinet of curiosities of Kircher lodged in Collegio Romano of which he was the conservator from 1698.This was published as Musaeum Kircherianum, sive Musaeum a P.A. Krichero in Collegio Romano Societatis Jesu... descriptum etc. in 1709 in Rome.