University of Altamura

In 1782, Gioacchino de Gemmis became archpriest and rector, and he managed to renovate the University of Altamura.[8] De Gemmis wanted to reform the University of Altamura, by providing more scientific and technical courses.

Gioacchino de Gemmis was the author of a university reform program and he started courses of experimental physics, botany, mineralogy and it made it forbidden to write notes during the lessons. Previously, the students had to take notes during the lessons; in order to avoid distracting the students from the lessons because of the notes, it was decided that the teaching material should be printed instead. A library was also established which, over time, grew bigger thanks to the donations of de Gemmis himself and of private citizens.[9] He also asked Vitangelo Bisceglia to come to teach botany to Altamura and to become his vicar.[10]

Gioacchino de Gemmis promoted among teachers the habit of meeting in the evening in his living room to discuss teaching. Later on, those evening meetings were extended also to lawyers, doctors, nobles and traders of the city, and in his living room discussions also embraced economics, politics, philosophy and social themes.[11]

In 1799, the overthrow of the Bournons dynasty, the birth of the Parthenopean Republic, the so-called Altamuran Revolution and the return of the Bourbons after a few months halted the courses as well as any other activity of the university. Inside the city of Altamura, there was widespread fear. The harassment occurred on a daily basis, citizens "every day were stopped and spoiled". Many former professors of the university, such as Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi were accused of having joined the riots and they had to flee. Gioacchino de Gemmis also had to leave the city and he was replaced by rector Maffione di Bisceglie.[12]

In 1806, with the new king Joseph Bonaparte, determined to end feudalism, Gioacchino de Gemmis was appointed again as rector of the University of Altamura, but the lack of funds still was a big issue. In the period 1809-1812, the number of students fell from 100 to 70 and in 1812 courses were officially closed, even though some documents stored in library Archivio capitolare of Altamura show that professors continued to teach until 1821.[12]

After the university was closed, somebody considered reopening it but, after the European Restoration and the return of the Bourbon dynasty, things became more complicated. In the 1840s, Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi and Gioacchiono Grimaldi talked to the mayor of Altamura and proposed using the funds of- Monte a Moltiplico in order to open a science experiment room (Italian: gabinetto di scienze). After their project was approved, both of them collected the instruments needed and in a short time they managed to create an experiment room for physics and mineralogy "gabinetto fisico mineralogico". The collection of instruments and devices comprised over 115 instruments. Even the experiment room risked being closed and, in 1865, it was given to a high school lyceum of Altamura, (Istituto Tecnico Ginnasiale) and since then it was used by the school as teaching materials. Today the collection belongs to the same high school, located in piazza Zanardelli, called liceo classico "Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi". Over the years, the collection grew bigger, while some old and worn out tools disappeared; nevertheless, the collection of ancient instruments is still big, various and rich.[13]

In 2013, the classical lyceum of Altamura started an auction in order to sell 989 scientific instruments "broken, obsolete or unusable". A few local politicians expressed fears and contacted the principal of the high school. The principal explained that the scientific instruments being auctioned were modern and they had no historical value; he also added that the ancient instruments of the collection are and will always be "absolutely untouchable".[14][15]

One of the first and most notable professors of the university was Giuseppe Carlucci. In 1749, he was given the teaching of philosophy and geometry. He was Altamuran and he was described as a professor of "supreme justice, probity and humanity". Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi, in his autobiography, remembers him as an open-minded person, who "hated the superstition that was promoted by silly priests". He also studied mathematics and philosophy, and he was largely self-taught since at that time there was "little love for these sciences"[18][19]

In order to show his scientific skills, he wrote a treatise in which he demonstrated the certainty of the Earth's motion, dismissing the beliefs and oppositions of that period. The work earned him the admiration of many scholars of that period. In particular, Msgr. Celestino Galiani greatly appreciated his treatise in a letter dated 30 November 1748.

I'm astonished that there are so skilled people in the provinces of this kingdom. Thus please give him the chair of philosophy and mathematics in those Royal Schools in accordance with His Majesty's Sovereign Intention.

— Msgr. Celestino Galiani[20][21]

Painting of Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi, exhibited in library Archivio Biblioteca Museo Civico (A.B.M.C.), in piazza Zanardelli, Altamura

Another notable teacher was Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi, who was an ex-student of the same university selected to be the assistant of Professor Giuseppe Carlucci for the chair of philosophy and geometry. Following Carlucci's death, he took up his position.[22]

The work of Cagnazzi was devoted to promoting scientific knowledge, which, at that time, was still at an early stage in the Kingdom of Naples. In particular, he provided the university library of scientific books and provided the students with scientific tools for experiments.[22]

Vitangelo Bisceglia

In 1783, Vitangelo Bisceglia was invited to Altamura by rector Gioacchino de Gemmis, in order for him to teach and become his vicar. Inside the university, Bisceglia could teach, among other things, his favorite subject, i.e. botany, and he also managed the university. In that period, Bisceglia showed that he was also skilled in the field of history and law; he wrote a popular treatise entitled Difesa dei dritti e prerogative della real chiesa di Altamura contro le pretensioni del Vescovo di Gravina (written in Altamura on 7 maggio 1795), in which he proved that the privileges and tax exemptions enjoyed by Altamura Cathedral were legal, ending a long-lasting dispute with the bishop of nearby city Gravina in Puglia. This work granted him a great deal of popularity.[10]

He also established a small botanic garden inside the university.[23]

Other noteworthy professors were Leopoldo Laudati, professor of Ancient Greek and Hebrew grammar, as well as Manfredi, Angelastri and Ruggiero.[10][24]

• VV. AA. (1822). Biografia degli uomini illustri del regno di Napoli, ornata de'loro rispettivi ritratti compilata da diversi letterati nazionali (in Italian). Vol. 9. Nicola Gervasi.
• Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi (1944). Alessandro Cutolo (ed.). La mia vita (in Italian). Milan: U. Hoepli.
• Barbara Raucci (2003). La diffusione delle scienze nell'Università degli Studi di Altamura: un difficile percorso di affermazione (PDF) (in Italian). Naples: Società Nazionale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti di Napoli and INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte.
• Giuseppe Bolognese (1999). Zecher la chorban - Memoria del sacrificio (in Italian). Tipografia Castellano - Altamura.