Astronomer. Born in 1787 in Caprese, Italy; died in 1877 in Padua, Italy. After studying under distinguished teachers at Pisa and Milan he was appointed by the Italian Government assistant director of the observatory at Padua in 1806, and in 1813 made professor of astronomy in the university. In 1814 he became director of the observatory, made it renowned for equipment and thoroughness of work, and acquired fame by planetary researches. Computed paths for several comets. Besides numerous dissertations on astronomic and geodetic subjects, he wrote Elements of Astronomy.