, a monk of the EcolesPies, or Pious Schools, was born at Mondovi,
, a monk of the EcolesPies, or Pious Schools, was born at Mondovi, and died at
Turin, May 22, 1781. He was professor of mathematics
and philosophy, first at Palermo, then at Rome; and by
his experiments and discoveries was so successful as to
throw great light on natural knowledge, and especially on
that of electricity. He was afterwards called to Turin to
take upon him the professorship of experimental
philosophy. Being appointed preceptor to the two princes, Benedict duke of Chablais, and Victor Amadscus duke of Ctirignan, neither the life of a court, nor the allurements of
pleasure, were able to draw him aside from study. Loaded
with benefits and honours, he spared nothing to augment
his library, and to procure the instruments necessary for
his philosophical pursuits. His dissertations on electricity
would have been more useful, if he had been less strongly
attached to some particular systems, and especially that of
Mr. Franklin. He published, 1. “Experimenta quibus
Electricitas Vindex late constituitur, &c.
” Turin, Electricismo artificiale,
” Essay on the cause of Storms and Tempests,
” where we meet with nothing more satisfactory than
what has appeared in other works on that subject; several
pieces on the meridian of Turin, and other objects of astronomy and physics. Father Beccaria was no less respectable for his virtues than his knowledge.