He was born in Gaino di Tuscolano Maderno, near
Brescia, now Italy, then part of the
Republic of Venice, to a poor family, but gained access to education by entering the seminary in Brescia, where he was ordained a priest in 1777. He later was named an abbot. His interest, however, were towards mathematics and physics, and he was a pupil of
Domenico Cocoli, and taught mathematics at a private college in Noventa Padovano. In 1797 he became professor of mathematics at the
University of Padua, although due to his political leanings, he was forced to resign in 1801. He returned to his post in 1806, and was assigned professor of general physics and applied mathematics. He was the president of the science faculty at the university during 1808–1809. In 1816, he became professor of
sublime calculus, succeeding
Pietro Cossali in that position. In 1813, he was named an associate of the
Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze. Much of his publications dealt with fluid dynamics and hydraulics. He had fierce polemic arguments in these areas with
Vincenzo Brunacci. He died in Padua. == Works ==