Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (1712–1783) biography of Pier Antonio Micheli (1679–1737)
Content Description
This collection contains a single volume manuscript containing a biography of botanist Pier Antonio Micheli (1679–1737) by his pupil Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (1712–1783). The manuscript was left unpublished by Targioni-Tozzetti, but was later published in 1858 with significant changes by his great grandson Adolfo Targioni-Tozzetti.
A list of the general contents of the manuscript is as follows:
- Six unnumbered pages following title page: List of the leading events in the life of Micheli.
- Pages 1 & 2: Letter written by Targioni-Tozzetti to his son Ottavio.
- Pages 3–149: Biography of Micheli, interspersed with quotes from letters written to Micheli.
- Pages 150–158: Discussion of public reaction to Micheli's book Nova plantarum genera.
- Pages 159–163: List of amateur botanists from Tuscany who wrote to Micheli of which Targioni-Tozzetti saved letters, including information on location, speciality, letter date, and summary of letter contents.
- Pages 163–195: List of letters from botanists outside of Tuscany of which Targioni-Tozzetti saved letters, including letter dates and quotes from the letters.
- Bottom of page 195–202: Author's commentary on Micheli's fame, illness, and death.
- Page 203: Wax death mask taken.
- Bottom of page 203–205: Posthumous accolades by various societies.
- Page 206: Inventory of Micheli's library and botanical specimens.
- Bottom of page 206–207: Locations of Micheli's papers and specimens.
- Bottom of page 207–214: Eulogy.
- Page 215–249: Catalogue of works by Micheli in two series:
- Series I: Works published by Micheli.
- Series II: Works published by Targioni-Tozzetti.
- Page 249–277: Inventory of specimens used by Micheli in Nova plantarum genera.
- Page 279–315: Continued biography.
- Page 315–317: Index to the life and writings of Micheli.
- Page 318–323: Outline of information and materials that should be included in a biography of Micheli.
- Page 325–329: Last Will and Testament.
Dates
- Creation: undated
Biographical / Historical
Pier Antonio Micheli (1679–1737) was a foundational botanical force of 18th century Europe, publishing the Nova plantarum genera (1729), which described around 1900 species, of which around 900 were fungi and a large majority previously unpublished. He is considered a father of modern mycology, thanks to his numerous experiments in fungal proliferation, including a famous one in which he developed fungi by placing spores on slices of melon, thereby contradicting the popular theory of spontaneous generation.
Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (1712–1783) knew Micheli from childhood, as Micheli grew medicinal plants in the gardens of Giovanni's family home. Micheli took Giovanni along on botanical expeditions until 1730, when Giovanni left for Pisa to attend university, obtaining a degree in medicine. Micheli would continue to serve as a mentor to Giovanni until hie death in 1737, at which point Giovanni took on the late Micheli's position as Director of the Botanical Garden at Studio Fiorentino. Giovanni was a prolific author, publishing texts intended to be accessible to the general public in fields of mineralogy, botany, ecology, and more.
Extent
1 Volumes
Language of Materials
Italian
- Title
- Guide to Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti (1712–1783) biography of Pier Antonio Micheli (1679–1737)
- Author
- Christi Thomas
- Date
- 21 July 2026
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation Archives Repository