Meteorological Observations in Florence, Italy, in the Second Half of the XVIII Century, and the Concurrent Debate about Climate Change

The XVIII century was, in Italy a very dynamic period for the development of Meteorology; in Florence, this was fostered by the existence of scientific institutions, such as the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital and the “Accademia dei Georgofili” (Agricultural Academy), and by the long local tradition in meteorological studies and data recording, established in the previous century. The close relation between meteorological conditions, food production and human health was evident to the researchers, many of them physicians, involved in meteorological research.

By the end of the century, a debate arose about air quality and climate change, witnessed by two talks presented at the Georgofili Academy by Gaetano Palloni, an esteemed physician. In both the works be focuses on the role of vegetation: in the first one, about its role in air quality improvement, with particular reference to urban and indoor conditions. In the second, the Author debates about the cooling effects of plant transpiration, and the differences among different areas, in case of a generalized climate change. The Author draws an excursus about the climate of past ages, based mainly on literature sources, suggesting a wider collection and use of meteorological data.