Patrizio Gennari

Itinerary edited by UNIVERSITY OF CAGLIARI

Biography

Patrizio Gennari was Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Science at the Royal University of Cagliari. He was born in Moresco (Ascoli Piceno) on 24^th November 1820. After completing his high school studies in Fermo and Moresco, he moved to Macerata to study medicine but graduated from the University of Bologna in 1842. He practiced medicine for two years in his hometown and continued studying botany, which he was passionate about. Thanks to Antonio Bertoloni, his professor of Botany in Bologna, he became Full Professor in Botany and Medicine at the University of Macerata on 24^th November 1844. He worked there for several years and did extensive fieldwork in the Apennines, as demonstrated by the exsiccata stored in the general area of the Herbarium in Cagliari.

Gennari left his job and his family to join Garibaldi’s expeditions and in 1849 he was appointed a member of the Constituent Assembly of the Roman Republic. 

Subsequently, he moved to Genoa to work with the famous botanist Giuseppe De Notaris who nominated him for a vacant position teaching natural history at the Royal University of Cagliari. The Government appointed him and he and his family moved to Cagliari in September of the same year. He soon became Full Professor of Botany and taught at the Royal University for 40 years. He was also appointed Director of the Pharmacy School, Head of the Faculty of Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Science and, from November 1872 to October 1875, he also served as the Rector of the University. He continued studying botany and agronomy and published several papers on these topics. He founded the Botanical Garden in Cagliari, which was officially opened on 15^th November 1866 but struggled to function properly due to technical and financial difficulties. Thanks to his ongoing efforts and his collaboration with Giovanni Battista Canepa, Gennari managed to achieve his goal. 

At the beginning of the 20^th century, the Botanical Garden in Cagliari represented, as Cavara wrote:

“A model that, for those like us working in the horticultural industry, was bound to be one of the best organised places in terms of climate and experiences offered, a real nursery for all Botanical Gardens on the Continent”

(Mossa L. et Del Prete C., 1992).

Gennari had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Sardinia and explored many parts of the island from 1856 to 1869. He collected several specimens of plants, some of which are now stored in the Herbarium Centrale Italicum (HCl) in Florence while others belong to the collection of the Herbarium, the Botanical Museum of the University of Cagliari. (CAG). He wrote extensively on Sardinian flora in studies such as Specie e varietà rimarchevoli e nuove da aggiungersi alla Flora di Sardegna (1866), La Florula di Caprera (1965, 1870), Repertorium Florae Calaritanae (1890).

Patrizio Gennari died in Cagliari on 1^st February 1897 and on 14^th March of the same year he was commemorated in his birthplace, Moresco. 

 

 

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Timeline

 1820 Gennari was born in Moresco (Ascoli Piceno
 1842 He received a medical degree from the University of Bologna
 1842 He worked a practicing physician in his hometown
 1844 He became professor of Botany and Medicine at the University of Macerata
 1849 He was appointed a member of the Constituent Assembly of the Roman Republic
 1849 He worked in Genoa with the renowned botanist De Notaris
 1854 He became Full Professor of Botany at the University of Cagliari
 1856 He started his botanical exploration of Sardinia
 1858 He managed for museums of Natural History of the University of Cagliari
 1859 He became Director of the Museums of Natural History in Cagliari
 1863 He became Director of the Botanical Garden in Cagliari
 1864 He became Director of the Royal Museum of Mineralogy and Geology in Cagliari
 1866 The Botanical Garden in Cagliari opened
 1872 He was appointed Rector of the University of Cagliari
 1897 He died in Cagliari

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Cities where he lived and worked

Fermo    Bologna  Macerata    Vicenza   Napoli    Rome   Genoa  Cagliari

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