Gaetano Negri

Born in Milan in 1838, Gaetano Negri built a career that crossed several worlds at once: he was known as a geologist, writer, and politician. He served as the 3rd Mayor of Milan from 1884 to 1889, and he also sat in the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy.

Italian reference works describe him as a man of letters as well as a public servant, and note that he later became a senator of the Kingdom of Italy. That mix of civic responsibility and intellectual range helps explain why his work still attracts interest today.

He died in Varazze in 1902. For readers coming to his books now, he stands out as one of those 19th-century authors whose ideas were shaped not only by study, but by direct involvement in the life of his country and city.