Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (1658-1730) e lo studio del mare nell’Histoire physique de la mer

Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (1658 – 1730) emerges in the 'Republic of Letters' as a 'great European man ' who moves nimbly within the cultural context of his time. He managed to combine social commitments, military obligations, and studies of natural and cultural phenomena. It was through his naturalistic writings that Marsili found distinction and social recognition. This research focuses on his discoveries in the field of marine science, an area of study that seems to have been close to the heart of the Bolognese general and scientist, and for which he deserves the title 'father of oceanography '. This project aims to analyse the scientific observations contained in one of his most successful works, the Histoire physique de la mer. The present study explores the evolution of Marsili's views on the nature of coral and the organic structure of the globe, as they emerged from the time of his stay in France in 1706 until his printing in 1725. Furthermore, the manner in which Marsili chose to disseminate his scientific innovations concerning sea flowers is also examined, including the use of images in the dissemination of his discoveries. The research also examines his inclination to travel, his scientific interests, the knowledge and study methods he learned from his masters in Bologna, and his relations with the academic environment. Finally, the essay emphasises how Marsili examined the weight of surface and deep waters, the equipment and methodology he used, and the context that led him to write his essay on the sea. It also highlights certain links between his first written work, Osservazioni intorno al Bosforo Tracio (1681), and his Histoire physique de la mer (1725). The methodology employed in the study of the waters in the Thracian Bosphorus in the Aegean Sea and the Gulf of Lion may be analogous. However, the Histoire appears to be a more structured study of the sea that also aims to encompass information on the conformation of the basin, its contents, its phenomena and the organisms that inhabit it.