“A people of poets, artists, heroes, saints, thinkers, scientists, navigators, and migrants”: Italian minds have shaped the world we live in through inventions, machines, philosophies and ideas that are still part of our everyday lives today. Yet these brilliant minds were human too, with their flaws, mistakes and personal challenges. Detractors, competitors and wars: many things can stand in the way when someone is about to make history.

Discover the stories of three Italian inventors!

Alessandro Volta, the battery

Born in Como, Alessandro Volta revolutionized the study of electricity with the invention of the Voltaic Pile, the first electric battery. The name “volt” to the measurament of electric potential was given after his name, as well as the word “voltage” to indicate electric potential difference. He taught physics at the University of Pavia, near Milan, for over 40 years and where the university still preserves the memory of his work. His famous dispute with Luigi Galvani over the nature of electricity became one of the great scientific rivalries of his time. Volta rejected Galvani’s theory of “animal electricity” and developed his own explanation, which would be the start of the invention of the electric pile.

Antonio Meucci, the telephone

Born in Florence, Antonio Meucci developed an early voice-communication device known as the telettrofono, laying important foundations for the telephone. He was also passioned about chemistry, so much that during the celebration of Maria Carolina di Sassonia’s labor, his homemade fireworks caused damages in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. His life was also marked by financial difficulties and a bitter patent dispute with Alexander Graham Bell. Recognition came much later: in 2002, the U.S. House of Representatives acknowledged Meucci’s role in the invention of the telephone, making his story one of innovation, perseverance and a long fight for recognition.

Archimede, a pioneer

More than two thousand years before modern inventors, Archimedes of Syracuse (Sicily) was already transforming scientific principles into practical inventions. Among his most famous creations there are: the Archimedes’ screw used to lift water, the compound pulley for moving heavy loads, and sophisticated war machines such as catapults and cranes designed to defend Syracuse. He also developed ingenious systems of levers and mechanical devices that demonstrated the power of applied mathematics. His final moments are equally legendary: during the Roman siege of Syracuse, apparently he was so absorbed in his geometric work that he ignored a Roman soldier’s orders.