Marino Ghettaldi

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Marino Ghetaldi

Marino Ghettaldi (or Ghetaldi) (modern Croatian Marin Getaldić) (1568 - April 11, 1626), was born in the Republic of Ragusa (today Dubrovnik, Croatia) from an Italian family, originary from Taranto. He was the most outstanding Dalmatian scientist of his time. A mathematician and physicist who studied in Italy, England and Belgium, his best results are mainly in physics, especially optics, and mathematics.

Among many books let us mention his Promotus Archimedus published in Rome, in 1603 and De resolutione et compositione mathematica, also Rome, in 1630. Renowned for the application of algebra in geometry and his research in the field of geometrical optics on which he wrote 7 works. He produced a pamphlet with the solutions of 42 geometrical problems, Variorum problematum colletio, in 1607 and set grounds of algebraization of geometry. His contributions to geometry had been cited by Dutch physicist Christian Huygens and Edmond Halley (Halley's comet) in England.

Getaldi was the constructor of the parabolic mirror (2/3m or 66cm in diameter), kept today at the National Maritime Museum in London. During his sojourn in Padua he met Galileo Galilei, with whom he corresponded regularly. He was a good friend to the French mathematician François Viète. The fact that the post of professor of mathematics had been offered to him in Leuven in Belgium, at the time one of the most prestigious university centers in Europe, proves his scientific reputation.

He was also engaged in politics and was the envoy of the Republic of Ragusa in Constantinople in 1606 as well as the member of the Great and Small Council, the political bodies of the Republic.

Ragusa

Two notable localities in the Republic of Ragusa are associated with the name of Getaldi. Bete's Cave where he conducted experiments with igniting mirrors; and Pozvizd, a key strategic tower in the Stagno (today Ston) fortification system which he was commissioned to build by the authorities of the Republic of Ragusa in 1604.