Alessandro Volta (1745 - 1827)

Alessandro Volta (1745 - 1827) Photo, German Museum, Munich

Alessandro Volta, the son of an aristocrat, was born in Como into a clerical, aristocratic family. During his studies he concentrated on electricity which was extracted from the atmosphere via a lightning conductor. From 1775, he was a professor of physics at the high school in Como, and was later employed as a professor for experimental physics at the University of Pavia from 1778. An auditorium - the Volta Auditorium - was built for him. He went to Paris in 1801, in order to present his Volta columns at the National Institute. This demonstration was a massive success, and even Napoleon was present. He retired in 1819, and passed away in Como in 1827. Volta was adept at adjusting to his surroundings, through which, in contrast to Galvani, he became a rich man.