Domenico Maria Leone Cirillo
| Domenico Cirillo FRS | |
|---|---|
Statue in Grumo Nevano, Naples
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|
| Born |
10 April 1739 Grumo Nevano, Kingdom of Naples |
| Died | 29 October 1799 (aged 60) Naples |
| Other names | Domenico Maria Leone Cirillo |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Fields | botany, entomology, medicine |
| Influenced | Linnaeus |
| Notable awards | Fellow of the Royal Society |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Cirillo |
Domenico Maria Leone Cirillo FRS (Grumo Nevano, Kingdom of Naples 10 April 1739 – Naples 29 October 1799) was an Italian physician, entomologist, botanist and patriot.
Appointed while still young to a botanical professorship, Cirillo went for some years to England, where he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society, and to France. On his return to Naples he was appointed to the chair of medical practice and afterwards to the chair of theoretical medicine. He wrote copiously on scientific subjects and had practiced medicine extensively. He was the teacher of the future military doctor Antonio Savaresi.
Cirillo's favorite study was botany. He was known as an entomologist by Linnaeus. He wrote many books in Latin and Italian, all of them treatises on medical and scientific subjects. The Virile morali dell'Asino is a philosophical pamphlet remarkable for both its learning and style. He introduced many medical innovations to Naples, particularly inoculation against smallpox. As well as several works on hygiene he also wrote:
With French help the Parthenopean Republic was established in January 1799, causing the monarch and his government to flee to Sicily. After at first refusing to take part in the new government, Cirillo consented to be chosen as a representative of the people and became a member of the legislative commission, of which he was eventually elected president. By June of the same year, the republic collapsed when the French withdrew and the city was overtaken by Cardinal Ruffo's counter-revolutionary Sanfedista army. Ferdinand IV's army returned to Naples, and the republicans withdrew to the forts, ill-armed and with inadequate provisions. After a short siege the Republicans surrendered on what they considered honorable terms: life and liberty being guaranteed them by the signatures of Ruffo, of Foote, and of Micheroux.
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