Amici was born in
Modena, in present-day
Italy. He studied mathematics in his hometown under
Paolo Ruffini. After graduating from the
University of Bologna, he became professor of
mathematics at Modena, and in 1831 was appointed inspector-general of studies in the
Duchy of Modena. A few years later, he succeeded
Jean-Louis Pons as director of the
observatory at
Florence, where he also lectured at the museum of
natural history. His name is best known for the improvements he effected in the mirrors of
reflecting telescopes and especially in the construction of the
microscope. He invented the
dipleidoscope and also the
direct vision prism. He was also a diligent and skillful observer, and busied himself not only with astronomical subjects, such as the
double stars, the
satellites of
Jupiter and the measurement of the
polar and
equatorial
diameters of the
sun, but also with
biological studies of the circulation of the sap in plants, the fructification of plants,
infusoria etc. He was the first to observe the
pollen tube. Amici died in Florence on 10 April 1863. The crater
Amici on the
Moon is named in his honour. The National Edition of the works and correspondence of Amici was formally established by a Ministerial Decree on February 7, 2003. The project was initiated under the auspices of the
Biblioteca Estense of Modena and the
Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa. The planned edition consists of six volumes, covering published works, unpublished documents, correspondence, and a photographic catalog of his instruments. The first two volumes (
Opere edite), focusing on Memoirs, Communications, and Scientific Letters, were published in 2006. ==Standard author abbreviation==