Nicola Arrighetti

Mathematician, b. at Florence and died there in 1639. He was distinguished as a litterateur, but chiefly as a mathematician and a philosopher. He was one of the most prominent disciples of Galileo, and occupied an illustrious place in the Florentine Academy and in that of Della Crusca. He was one of those who formed the Platonic Academy which was re-established by the Grand Duke Ferdinand and the Prince, afterwards Cardinal of Tuscany. Arrighetti pronounced the opening discourse. He undertook to translate the Diologues of Plato into Tuscan and was so engaged when he died. He left a great number of manuscripts, in prose and verse, among which are some Cicalate or serio-comic compositions in vogue at the time, on such subjects as the tortoise, the cucumber, pickles, etc.

Michaud, Biograph. univ.; Guerin, Dictionnaire des dictionaires.

T.J. CAMPBELL