Buonamici (Bonamico), Francesco

1. Dates

Born: Florence, first half of 16th century

Died: 29 Sept. 1603

Dateinfo: Birth Unknown

Lifespan: N/A

2. Father

Occupation: Aristocrat

The only information is the statement in one source that Buonamici was of a noble family.

No information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: Italian

Career: Italian

Death: Italian

4. Education

Schooling: No University

There is no evidence whatever.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic (by assumption)

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Scholastic Philosophy, Medicine

Buonamici's principal work was De motu libri X, 1591, a work on natural philosophy in the scholastic mode; it cited much recent work, but mostly to reject it.

He also published a work on medicine, De alimento.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Academia, Medicine

Buonamici taught in Pisa for forty-three years before his death in 1603, first logic, and then, after 1665, philosophy. He was teaching in Pisa when Galileo was a student there, and people once assumed that Galileo's early commentary on De caelo came primarily from Buonamici. Quite frankly that illusory connection with Galileo is the only reason he got into the DSB.

DSB says that he was a physician in Florence. Although I find no mention of practice elsewhere, I do notice that he published on medicine, so I will accept the statement.

8. Patronage

Type: Court Official

One source states that he was very dear to the Grand Duke. The appointment in Pisa, which must have been virtually from the year of the university's foundation, surely supports the statement.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: Medical Practice

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

He was a member of the Florentine Academy.

Sources

1. Not in Dizionario biografico degli italiani.
2. Galileo, Opere, 20, 405.
3. Galileo, On Motion, Drabkin and Drake, eds., (Madison, Wis., 1960), pp. 10, 49n, 55n, 78n, 79n. Alexandre Koyré, Études Galiléennes--extensive quotations from Buonamici's De motu but no biographical information whatever.
4. Zedler, Universal-Lexikon, 4, col 569.
5. There is in fact very little information about this shadowy man.

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.