"The mathematician and the viceroy. A note on books once belonging to Giovanni Camillo Gloriosi (1572-1643) from the library of the Duke of Medina de las Torres"

Abstract

The renowned claim that Gloriosi’s library was transferred to Spain in the mid-seventeenth century is confirmed by the identification of thirty-five printed books that had originally belonged to the Neapolitan mathematician. Following his death in 1643, Gloriosi’s books were sold in Naples to Viceroy Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán, Duke of Medina de las Torres. In the wake of the viceroy’s demise in 1668, the collection began to be dispersed. This note presents part of Gloriosi’s library and provides an opportunity to explore his diverse interests as well as the sources he drew on for his inquiry into a wide range of scientific subjects.