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Died 1911, Grumolo delle Abbadesse, Italy Children Teresina Lioy, Leopoldo Lioy Parents Teresa Bonfornello Stazzone, Leopoldo Lioy | ||
Vajo dei camosci e vajo paolo lioy piccole dolomiti
Paolo Lioy (31 July 1834, Vicenza – 27 January 1911, Vancimuglio di Grumolo delle Abbadesse) was an Italian naturalist, redshirt patriot and politician.
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After graduating from high school, Lioy studied law in Padua. In 1853 he demonstrated his childhood interest in the natural sciences, by taking part in the reorganization of collections of the natural history section of Museo naturalistico archeologico in Vicenza [1] At this time he was also engaged in writing articles and political activism in favor of the unification of Italy.
In 1857, he married the daughter of an officer of Bourbon, Giulia de Beaumont.
In 1859 he published La vita nell'universo (Life in the universe), the first of his several popular science books and translated into French.
From 1862 to 1869 he served as Secretary of the Accademia Olimpica di Vicenza.
In 1864 he began excavations in the valleys around Arcugnano, looking for remains of prehistoric settlements, thus giving rise to a series of archaeological finds that continued in the next century, well after his death. Based on data collected in 1876 he published the book Le abitazioni lacustri di Fimon ( Fimon Lake dwellings), which had once again international resonance.
From 1865 he also studied fossils from Monte Bolca.
In 1866 because his involvement with Garibaldi the Austrian authorities forced him to leave.He moved to Milan along with other political refugees. His exile lasted a few months, after which he returned to Vicenza where he was appointed Provveditorato agli studi and became a Deputy, although again only for a few months.
He served as councillor from 1866 to 1902 and from 1867 to 1905 provincial Councillor. From 1870 he was elected to 6 consecutive legislatures, until 1888.
In 1905 he was appointed senatore del Regno (Senator of the Kingdom).
His scientific and literary activity continued despite political commitments, throughout his life, which ended in 1911.
For his calling for a general audience and literary abilities, Paolo Lioy was nicknamed by his contemporaries "il poeta della natura" (the poet of nature).