Serafino Serrati

Serafino Serrati (18th-century) was an Italian Benedictine monk, who also practiced or taught physical sciences. He appears to have lived in the Badia Fiorentina (Florentine Abbey of monks of the order of Monte Cassino). He is now best remembered because the bacterial genus for a specific gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria called Serratia is named after him in 1819 by the botanist and chemist Bartolomeo Bizio (1791 – 1862) to honor him for his unrecognized invention of a steamboat.

Biography

Information regarding Serafino is limited. Born in the 18th-century in Florence to a respectable family, he appears to have studied physics and botany. He is thought to have been the professor of experimental physics in his monastery.

Among his preferred studies was to find ways to direct the movement of globi areostatici, today in English referred to as hot-air balloons. It is said that his fellow monk Rabatta and Serrati were the first Florentines to become air-bound by globes. In addition, according to a biographer he was the first to apply the force of the vapor in lumber to move in the sea ^[1] An article by Jouffroy d'Ambrans reported on his barchetto a fuoco (ship on fire).

He was said to have been adept and diligent in his monastic responsibility. One anecdote is that once upon hearing the bells calling the monks to choir as part of the liturgy of the hours, Serrafino would rush over still wearing the apron he was using while at work at some chemical oven. The editor of his letters remarks on his modesty and humility, and dismissal of world fame. ^[2]

Among his reports published in life are the following nine communications: ^[3]

• Regarding observations in the choice of flammable air
• Describing a two-burner retort to decompose wine spirit into flammable air
• Which describes a model to form an aerostatic globe with a conical shape, without making seams that it does not lose the air that is introduced into it
• Which explains the guiding of an aerostatic globe [balloon] in any direction, and to any height
• Representation of a flush scale, without friction
• About a pneumatic machine powered by mercury
• Description of a positive and negative conductor, and of an electrophore without resins
• Description of a boat powered by fire, which with that force, moves without wind(power)
• Describing a reverberating oven, for the use of baking bread.

Observations

The obscurity of the scientific efforts of Serafino recall the obscurity of Gregor Mendel's observations in the next century. However, Serafino could be considered only one more addition to the long list of Catholic clergy scientists.

Bibliography

• All the above bibliographical entry was derived solely from:
• Dizionario biografico universale, Volume 5, by Felice Scifoni, Publisher Davide Passagli, Florence (1849); page 38.

References

1. ad applicare la forza del vapore ai legni per correre il mare.
2. Lettera di fisica sperimentale (Florence, 1787, in 12avo.
3. • Lettera I. Di osservazioni nella scelta dell'aria infiammabile
   • Lettera II. Che tratta di una storta a due fochi per decomporre lo spirito di vino in aria infiammabile
   • Lettera III. Che descrive un modello per formare il globo areostatico di figura conica, senza farvi cuciture, acciò non perda l'aria ch vi s'introduce
   • Lettera IV. Che spiega la direzione di un globo aereostatico per qualunque parte, e in qualunque altezza
   • Lettera V. Rappresentante una bilancia a filo, senza l'attrito
   • Lettera VI. Sopra di un macchina pneumatica a mercurio
   • Lettera VII. Che tratta di un conduttore positivo e negativo, e di un elettroforo senza le resine
   • Lettera VIII. Che dimostra un barchetto a fuoco, che con la forza di esso, cammina senza il vento
   • Lettera IX. Che descrive un forno a riverbero, per l'uso di cuocere il pane.