author
Filippo De Filippi
1814–1867
A 19th-century Italian doctor and zoologist, he paired scientific curiosity with a taste for travel, studying animals while joining major expeditions across Persia and East Asia. His writing helped bring new evolutionary ideas into public debate in Italy.
1 Audiobook
Note di un viaggio in Persia nel 1862
by Filippo De Filippi
About the author
Born in Pavia on April 20, 1814, Filippo De Filippi trained in medicine at the University of Pavia before moving deeply into natural history. Early in his career he worked with zoological collections in Pavia and Milan, building a reputation as a careful observer of animals and anatomy.
In 1848 he became professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at the University of Turin, where he also directed the zoological museum. Alongside his teaching and research, he traveled widely, including journeys in South America and Persia, and later joined an expedition to East Asia.
De Filippi is remembered both for his zoological work and for helping introduce Charles Darwin's ideas to Italian readers. He died in Hong Kong on February 9, 1867, during his final voyage, leaving behind the image of a scientist whose work was shaped as much by field travel as by the lecture hall.