Title:
Vitaliano Donati to Carl Linnaeus
Type:
Image
Licence:
Contact [email protected]
Repository:
The Linnean Society of London
Collection:
Linnaean Correspondence
Reference number:
LC/3/151
Archival level:
Item
Date:
31 May 1750
Placement:
Volume 3: 308-309
Extent:
308-309
Language:
la
Description:
Vitaliano Donati has long wanted to contact Linnaeus to tell him how much Linnaeus meant to him. When Donati had seen how all nature had opened up to Linnaeus’s methods of investigation, how all Europe followed him and that true knowledge of Nature was found in Linnaeus’s works, Donati had abandoned Joseph Pitton de Tournefort’s method, in which he was trained from his youth, and adopted Linnaeus’s. However, there were many enemies of Linnaeus in Italy, so Donati had kept his standpoint secret and avoided taking part in discussions, so as not to get into difficulties. Later, when Donati had to publish Historia marina Adriatici [Della storia naturale marina dell’ Adriatico] earlier this year, he had reduced his praise of Linnaeus on purpose, in order not to annoy his enemies, although he had ventured to use terms like mas, femina. When the work appeared, Donati had been declared a pupil of Linnaeus, a major battle had started, and even people who had seemed to be followers of Linnaeus had attacked him, led by Giulio Pontedera. He had made a speech against the sexual system at a public event held each year on May 5, a speech that could not be surpassed in hatred, malevolence or its disregard of truth. Pontedera had continued to apply Tournefort’s methods and to attack Donati and Linnaeus, but Donati can assure Linnaeus that Pontedera never has owned or even seen a single page of Linnaeus’s works. He has what he uses from Adriaan van Royen’s Florae Leydensis Prodromus, where he says that he has gathered what he needs to know. Among Pontedera’s followers is Jean François Séguier, and Donati knows of others but does not dare to mention them. Donati reports this to Linnaeus in secret, and he asks Linnaeus never to let it be known that he had given him the information. Donati just tells him the facts, so that Linnaeus can make his own defence and be a patron and teacher to Donati and to Lionardo Sesler, the two who are eager to make Linnaeus’s system known all over Italy and to protect it from its enemies. Therefore, Donati asks Linnaeus to tell him if Linnaeus finds anything in this that does not agree with Linnaeus’s meaning and intentions. Donati is very eager to satisfy Linnaeus and to protect and promote Systema naturae, which is easiest, truest and best suited to reveal the uniformity and majesty of nature. The letter ends with a wish that Linnaeus will live long, and with the address of the merchants Pietro Wonucler and Sons in Amsterdam, who will forward any answering letter from Linnaeus to Donati.
Sender:
Donati, Vitaliano
Recipient:
Linnaeus, Carl
Sent to location:
[Uppsala, Sweden]
Previous reference number:
L5292
