The book is the result of the international scientific conference Niccolò Copernico, Ferrara e l’università nel Rinascimento: studenti, docenti, eredità, which took place on November 17–18, 2023, at the University of Ferrara. This scientific event was co-organized by the University of Ferrara and the Nicolaus Copernicus Academy, which also co-financed this publication.
The ceremonial inauguration of the event was highlighted by a lecture by Prof. Krzysztof Górski titled “Nicolaus Copernicus: Life as a manifestation of virtues.” On behalf of the Academy, lectures were also delivered by Prof. Andrzej Rynkiewicz, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Chamber of Medical Sciences of the Nicolaus Copernicus Academy, and Prof. Mirosław Lenart, Dean of the College of Philosophy and Theology of the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School.
The conference, organized to mark the 550th anniversary of Nicolaus Copernicus’ birth in the place where he studied canon law, served as a unique occasion to inaugurate the Nicolaus Copernicus Academy’s exhibition: “Niccolò Copernico – pellegrinaggio verso le stelle.”
About the publication.
The post-conference edition is a unique volume compiled in Italian and edited by Marco Bresadola, a historian of science from the University of Ferrara. The publication offers a fascinating look at the life and work of the great astronomer, with a particular focus on his studies and academic contacts in Italy. The authors of the essays included in the book analyze, among other things, the scientific environment of Ferrara at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries and the role played by the Este University—the institution where Copernicus obtained his doctorate in canon law in May 1503.
Subsequent chapters focus on Copernicus’ studies in Bologna and Padua, where he deepened his knowledge in medicine, exact sciences, and law. The final part of the volume is dedicated to the reception of his work and its influence on the development of modern and contemporary scientific thought, with references to figures such as Giordano Bruno, Galileo, Immanuel Kant, and the Encyclopedists.
On March 25, 2025, the volume dedicated to Nicolaus Copernicus was presented to the public by scientists from the University of Ferrara during a remote session available at the following link:
Book details
Niccolò Copernico, Ferrara e le università nel Rinascimento. Studenti, docenti, eredità Editor: Marco Bresadola Number of pages: 240 Binding: softcover ISBN: 978-88-15-39104-9 Year of publication: 2024 The book is available on the Il Mulino publishing house website:https://www.mulino.it/isbn/9788815391049
About the scientific editor
Marco Bresadola is a full professor of the history of science at the University of Ferrara. He heads the Department of Humanistic Studies and is actively involved in the popularization of science and cultural heritage. In his research work, he focuses on the history of modern biology and medicine, particularly analyzing the achievements of scholars such as Marcello Malpighi and Luigi Galvani.
