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Volta, Alessandro (1745 – 1827)

A rare autograph letter signed by Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist and chemist, pioneer of electricity and power credited with inventing the electric battery — and also the discoverer of methane.

Volta writes a two page letter from Milan, 10th January 1812, to Ignazio Martignoni (‘Car[issi]mo Cognato’; his brother-in-law), in Italian. Volta states that he was very pleased to receive his correspondent’s letter, accompanied by a poem which he liked very much, and remarks, ‘Do not delay in showing it to Count Senator Daradisi, as you wish, and you will have done so even without my prompting, confident that he too will like it‘, further adding, ‘He judged it very advantageous, and compared it to the sermons of Gozzi, whom I hold in high esteem. He would only have wished that God had expressed the same sentiment and that you had expanded on it more in the sermon, and that you had included more morality by portraying and criticising customs as well’, and continuing, ‘Despite this omission and imperfection, if it can be called such, he would like it to be published in the newspaper, and has therefore suggested this to Cavaliere Gamberti, another of the editors of that newspaper. They assume that you are aware of this, and that some changes to words and expressions will be made, as their perhaps overly strict censorship would require’.

Volta concludes his letter by writing of family matters, ‘My wife, who has just returned from Ornago with her sister and two nieces, having spent three days on this trip, sends her affectionate greetings to you and your family, and gives you good news of your son Giugino, who visited you while passing through Monza‘. With integral address leaf in Volta´s hand (small area of paper loss to one edge, caused by the original breaking of the seal). Some light overall foxing and a few very small, minor tears to the edges, otherwise in generally fine condition.