"Peirescius" redirects here. For the crater on the Moon, see Peirescius (crater).
Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1 December 1580 – 24 June 1637), often known simply as Peiresc, or by the Latin form of his name, Peirescius, was a French astronomer, antiquary and savant, who maintained a wide correspondence with scientists, and was a successful organizer of scientific inquiry. His research included a determination of the difference in longitude of various locations in Europe, around the Mediterranean, and in North Africa.
Peiresc's father was a higher magistrate and city surgeon in Provence from a wealthy noble family, who with his wife fled their home town of Aix-en-Provence to avoid the plague raging there, settling in Belgentier in Var. Peiresc was born in Belgentier and educated in Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, as well as at the Jesuit college at Tournon. At Toulon, he first became interested in astronomy. Studying law and becoming interested in archaeology, he travelled to Italy, Switzerland and France in 1599, and finally finished his legal studies in 1604 at the University of Montpellier. It was also in 1604 that he assumed the name Peiresc after a domain in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (now spelled Peyresq) which he had inherited from his father, although he himself never visited it.
After receiving his degree, he travelled to Paris (in 1605–1606, with his patron Guillaume du Vair, president of the Parlement of Provence), London and Flanders before returning to Aix in 1607 to take over his uncle's position as conseiller in the Parlement of Provence under du Vair. He held this post until 1615.
From 1615 until 1622, Peiresc again visited Paris with du Vair. He then returned to Provence to serve as senator of the sovereign court. He became a patron of science and art, studied fossils, and supported the astronomer Pierre Gassendi from 1634 to 1637. Virginio Cesarini proposed him for membership of the Accademia dei Lincei in 1621, but it is not certain whether he joined.[1]
Peiresc's position as a great intellectual at the time of the scientific revolution has led to his being called a "Prince of the Republic of Letters". He was also a noted politician in his home region, and a tireless letter-writer (10,000 of his letters survive, and he was in constant correspondence with François de Malherbe, Hugo Grotius, the brothers Dupuy, Alphonse-Louis du Plessis de Richelieu, and with his great friend Rubens. His correspondence to Malherbe throws light on the personality of Malherbe's troubled son Marc-Antoine Malherbe.
Peiresc became one of the first admirers and supporters of Caravaggio in France. He first discovered Caravaggio's works in the Contarelli chapel in Rome in 1600 when he was only 20 years old.[2] In his hometown, he gathered around him a sort of 'caravaggesque workshop of Southern France' with artists including Flemish artist Louis Finson, Martin Hermann Faber, Trophime Bigot and other painters.[3] He promoted the Caravaggesque style by arranging commissions for these artists. He was instrumental in obtaining a number of commissions for Finson, including for history paintings and portraits.[4] Finson also painted a portrait of de Peyresc. Peiresc was an avid art collector and relied on Finson's contacts in Italy to acquire two works of Caravaggio from the Pasqualini family of Rome.[3]
Peiresc's house in Aix-en-Provence was a veritable museum, and held a mix of antique sculptures, modern paintings, medals, books and gardens with exotic plants. He acquired the Byzantine Barberini ivory (it is not known how or from whom) and offered it to Francesco Barberini: the work is now in the Louvre. He had the Codex Luxemburgensis, the surviving Carolingian copy of the Chronography of 354 in his possession for many years; after his death it disappeared. He owned over 18,000 coins and medals, and was also an archaeologist, amateur artist, historian (he demonstrated that Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain set out not from Calais but from St Omer), Egyptologist, botanist, zoologist (studying chameleons, crocodiles, the elephant and the alzaron, a sort of Nubian gazelle with a bull-like head, now disappeared), physiologist, geographer (put on the project of linking Aix to Marseilles), and ecologist.
Detail of Peiresc's notes recording his first observation of the Orion Nebula on 26 November 1610
Astronomer
Peiresc was also an astronomer. In 1610 du Vair purchased a telescope, which Peiresc and Joseph Gaultier used for observing the skies, including Jupiter's moons; his courtly suggestion that individual names from the Medici family be applied to these "Medicean stars" was not taken up.[5] Peiresc also made detailed observations of the Orion Nebula in 1610; Gaultier became the second person to see it in the telescope. To determine longitude with greater precision, he coordinated the observation of the lunar eclipses of 28 August 1635 right across the Mediterranean; this allowed him to work out that the Mediterranean sea was in fact 1,000 km shorter than had previously been thought. Peiresc also wrote letters to Galileo, Pierre Gassendi and Tommaso Campanella, two of whom he defended when they were arrested by the Inquisition.
Final years
Peiresc wrote an "abridged history of Provence", but died before editing it: it was only published (edited by Jacques Ferrier and Michel Feuillas) in 1982. With Gassendi's support, notably financially, he and the engraver Claude Mellan began to produce a map of the Moon's surface, but again Peiresc died before completing it.
Peiresc died on 24 June 1637 in Aix-en-Provence.
Works
Peiresc's works include:
Histoire abrégée de Provence
Lettres à Malherbe (1606–1628)
Traitez des droits et des libertés de l'Eglise gallicane (1639)
Vita Peireskii (1641)
Mémoires
Bulletin Rubens
Notes inédites de Peiresc sur quelques points d'histoire naturelle
A bronze bust of Peiresc stands on the square of the university in Aix-en-Provence, facing the cathedral of Saint Sauveur. His home near the palais de Justice was demolished to build the present Palais, and has completely disappeared.
Peiresc was honored in 1935 by the naming of the lunar craterPeirescius (46.5S, 67.6E, 61 km diameter); and in 1993 by the naming of the asteroid 19226 Peiresc.
^Dossier de Presse, Les caravages de Peiresc, Conférence de Presse Organisée par la mairie de Cavaillon et l’association des amis de l’Hôtel d’Agar (reconnue d’intérêt général). Cavaillon salle du conseil le 21 Mars 2019 (in French)
Roux-Alpheran, François Ambroise Thomas (1846). Les Rues D'Aix, Ou Recherches Historiques Sur L'ancienne Capitale de la Provence. Vol. 1. Aix-en-Provence (France): Aubin. p. 558.
Tolbert, Jane T. (1999). "Fabri De Peiresc's Quest for a Method to Calculate Terrestrial Longitude". The Historian. 61 (4): 801–820. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.1999.tb01046.x.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc.
The Correspondence of Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc in EMLO
de Peiresc biography and references Galileo Project at Rice University
Life of the great Provençal humanist 2014-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
Project Peiresc by Prof R. A. Hatch
Peiresc, humanist genius of Provence
January 07, 2023
nicolas, claude, fabri, peiresc, peirescius, redirects, here, crater, moon, peirescius, crater, december, 1580, june, 1637, often, known, simply, peiresc, latin, form, name, peirescius, french, astronomer, antiquary, savant, maintained, wide, correspondence, w. Peirescius redirects here For the crater on the Moon see Peirescius crater Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc 1 December 1580 24 June 1637 often known simply as Peiresc or by the Latin form of his name Peirescius was a French astronomer antiquary and savant who maintained a wide correspondence with scientists and was a successful organizer of scientific inquiry His research included a determination of the difference in longitude of various locations in Europe around the Mediterranean and in North Africa Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc by Louis Finson Contents 1 Early life 2 Intellectual and collector 3 Astronomer 4 Final years 5 Works 6 Legacy 7 See also 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External linksEarly life EditPeiresc s father was a higher magistrate and city surgeon in Provence from a wealthy noble family who with his wife fled their home town of Aix en Provence to avoid the plague raging there settling in Belgentier in Var Peiresc was born in Belgentier and educated in Aix en Provence and Avignon as well as at the Jesuit college at Tournon At Toulon he first became interested in astronomy Studying law and becoming interested in archaeology he travelled to Italy Switzerland and France in 1599 and finally finished his legal studies in 1604 at the University of Montpellier It was also in 1604 that he assumed the name Peiresc after a domain in Alpes de Haute Provence now spelled Peyresq which he had inherited from his father although he himself never visited it After receiving his degree he travelled to Paris in 1605 1606 with his patron Guillaume du Vair president of the Parlement of Provence London and Flanders before returning to Aix in 1607 to take over his uncle s position as conseiller in the Parlement of Provence under du Vair He held this post until 1615 Intellectual and collector Edit Terracotta bust of Peiresc by Jean Jacques Caffieri in the Bibliotheque Mazarine From 1615 until 1622 Peiresc again visited Paris with du Vair He then returned to Provence to serve as senator of the sovereign court He became a patron of science and art studied fossils and supported the astronomer Pierre Gassendi from 1634 to 1637 Virginio Cesarini proposed him for membership of the Accademia dei Lincei in 1621 but it is not certain whether he joined 1 Peiresc s position as a great intellectual at the time of the scientific revolution has led to his being called a Prince of the Republic of Letters He was also a noted politician in his home region and a tireless letter writer 10 000 of his letters survive and he was in constant correspondence with Francois de Malherbe Hugo Grotius the brothers Dupuy Alphonse Louis du Plessis de Richelieu and with his great friend Rubens His correspondence to Malherbe throws light on the personality of Malherbe s troubled son Marc Antoine Malherbe Peiresc became one of the first admirers and supporters of Caravaggio in France He first discovered Caravaggio s works in the Contarelli chapel in Rome in 1600 when he was only 20 years old 2 In his hometown he gathered around him a sort of caravaggesque workshop of Southern France with artists including Flemish artist Louis Finson Martin Hermann Faber Trophime Bigot and other painters 3 He promoted the Caravaggesque style by arranging commissions for these artists He was instrumental in obtaining a number of commissions for Finson including for history paintings and portraits 4 Finson also painted a portrait of de Peyresc Peiresc was an avid art collector and relied on Finson s contacts in Italy to acquire two works of Caravaggio from the Pasqualini family of Rome 3 Peiresc s house in Aix en Provence was a veritable museum and held a mix of antique sculptures modern paintings medals books and gardens with exotic plants He acquired the Byzantine Barberini ivory it is not known how or from whom and offered it to Francesco Barberini the work is now in the Louvre He had the Codex Luxemburgensis the surviving Carolingian copy of the Chronography of 354 in his possession for many years after his death it disappeared He owned over 18 000 coins and medals and was also an archaeologist amateur artist historian he demonstrated that Julius Caesar s invasion of Britain set out not from Calais but from St Omer Egyptologist botanist zoologist studying chameleons crocodiles the elephant and the alzaron a sort of Nubian gazelle with a bull like head now disappeared physiologist geographer put on the project of linking Aix to Marseilles and ecologist Detail of Peiresc s notes recording his first observation of the Orion Nebula on 26 November 1610Astronomer EditPeiresc was also an astronomer In 1610 du Vair purchased a telescope which Peiresc and Joseph Gaultier used for observing the skies including Jupiter s moons his courtly suggestion that individual names from the Medici family be applied to these Medicean stars was not taken up 5 Peiresc also made detailed observations of the Orion Nebula in 1610 Gaultier became the second person to see it in the telescope To determine longitude with greater precision he coordinated the observation of the lunar eclipses of 28 August 1635 right across the Mediterranean this allowed him to work out that the Mediterranean sea was in fact 1 000 km shorter than had previously been thought Peiresc also wrote letters to Galileo Pierre Gassendi and Tommaso Campanella two of whom he defended when they were arrested by the Inquisition Final years EditPeiresc wrote an abridged history of Provence but died before editing it it was only published edited by Jacques Ferrier and Michel Feuillas in 1982 With Gassendi s support notably financially he and the engraver Claude Mellan began to produce a map of the Moon s surface but again Peiresc died before completing it Peiresc died on 24 June 1637 in Aix en Provence Works EditPeiresc s works include Histoire abregee de Provence Lettres a Malherbe 1606 1628 Traitez des droits et des libertes de l Eglise gallicane 1639 Vita Peireskii 1641 Memoires Bulletin Rubens Notes inedites de Peiresc sur quelques points d histoire naturelle Correspondance de Peiresc et Aleandro 1616 1618 Bust of Peiresc in Aix en ProvenceLegacy EditA bronze bust of Peiresc stands on the square of the university in Aix en Provence facing the cathedral of Saint Sauveur His home near the palais de Justice was demolished to build the present Palais and has completely disappeared The village museum in Peyresq near Digne les Bains is wholly given over to his work Peiresc was honored in 1935 by the naming of the lunar crater Peirescius 46 5S 67 6E 61 km diameter and in 1993 by the naming of the asteroid 19226 Peiresc See also EditList of Roman Catholic scientist clericsReferences Edit http www bl uk catalogues ItalianAcademies PersonFullDisplay aspx RecordId 022 000005398 amp searchAssoc Assoc permanent dead link accessed 9 7 2017 Dossier de Presse Les caravages de Peiresc Conference de Presse Organisee par la mairie de Cavaillon et l association des amis de l Hotel d Agar reconnue d interet general Cavaillon salle du conseil le 21 Mars 2019 in French a b Olivier Morand Le Finson de Toulouse 2019 Paul Smeets editor Louis Finson The four elements The four elements Responsibility R Smeets c 2007 Satellites of Jupiter The Galileo Project Retrieved 2007 11 24 Bibliography EditBigourdan G 1916 La decouverte de la nebuleuse d Orion N G C 1976 par Peiresc Comptes Rendus 162 489 490 Gassendi Pierre 1657 The Mirrour Of True Nobility amp Gentility being the life of N C Fabricius Lord of Peiresk London Jones Kenneth Glyn 1991 Messier s Nebulae and Star Clusters 2nd ed Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 337 ISBN 0521370795 Miller Peter N 2000 Peiresc s Europe learning and virtue in the seventeenth century New Haven Yale University Press ISBN 0 300 08252 5 Miller Peter N 2012 Peiresc s Orient antiquarianism as cultural history in the seventeenth century Farnham Ashgate ISBN 978 1 4094 3298 2 Miller Peter N 2015 Peiresc s Mediterranean World Cambridge Mass Harvard University Press ISBN 9780674744066 Roux Alpheran Francois Ambroise Thomas 1846 Les Rues D Aix Ou Recherches Historiques Sur L ancienne Capitale de la Provence Vol 1 Aix en Provence France Aubin p 558 Tolbert Jane T 1999 Fabri De Peiresc s Quest for a Method to Calculate Terrestrial Longitude The Historian 61 4 801 820 doi 10 1111 j 1540 6563 1999 tb01046 x External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc The Correspondence of Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc in EMLO de Peiresc biography and references Galileo Project at Rice University Life of the great Provencal humanist Archived 2014 07 10 at the Wayback Machine Project Peiresc by Prof R A Hatch Peiresc humanist genius of Provence Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc amp oldid 1112610252, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
