Camillo Róndani

Camillo Róndani (21 November 1808 – 17 September 1879) was an Italian entomologist noted for his studies of Diptera.

Biography

Early years

When Camillo Róndani was born in Parma the city was part of the French Empire Napoleon having crowned himself King of Italy. The Róndani family were wealthy landowners and of "rich and of ancient origins" with ecclesiastical connections preliminary and Camillo's early education was in a seminary. He then passed into the public school system where, encouraged by Macedonio Melloni his physics and chemistry teacher in the preparatory course for the University of Parma, he did not attend the law lessons his family had insisted on. He attended mineralogy classes given by a Franciscan priest, Father Bagatta and was taught natural history, a complementary course to botany for Medicine and Pharmacy. The Reader of Botany to the Athenaeum Parmesan was Professori Giorgio Jan, assistant at the Imperial Museum in Vienna and holder of the chair of zoology in Parma University. From Jan Róndani received many gifts to his collection: Coleoptera and a herbarium. Through Jan Róndani gained access to the house of the Conte Stefano Sanvitale, where an entomological club had access to the insect collection of Pietro Rossi.