Paolo Brenni
born 1954
Paolo Brenni was born in Mendrisio (Ticino, Switzerland) the 20th of March 1954. He studied experimental physics at the University of Zürich, where he graduated in 1981. He than specialised in the history of scientific instruments and of precision industry in the period from the beginning of 18th century to the mid-20th century. He soon started to work in Italy, first for the University of Pavia, where he restored and catalogued the physics collection of the university museum, and after in Florence for the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza and for the Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica. Since 1992 he is researcher for the Italian CNR (National Research Council) and he actually works in Florence for the above mentioned institutions and in Paris (where he is still associate researcher to the Centre de Recherche en Histoire des Sciences et des techniques). He constantly collaborates with various European and American museums, astronomical observatories and various scientific institutions for the preservation and the study of historical scientific instrument heritage. He contributed to catalogue, reorganise and restore several collections of instruments both in Italy and aboard.
- CURRICULUM VITAE. OF PAOLO BRENNI