Alessandro Segni's ‘Pyramid of Knowledge' : Visualising the Cimento's Literary Authorities

On the first page of the 1657 diary of the Accademia del Cimento, Alessandro Segni, then the secretary of the group of scholars, depicted twelve volumes stacked in a pyramid. The author's name is inscribed on the fore edge of each book, with the exception of the penultimate one, which bears only the words “Nova filosofia.” One may assume that the authors were ordered in a hierarchy of importance, with Galileo at the top and Aristotle at the bottom. However, the configuration of the list prompts reflection on the epistemological value of author-only lists, which in this case may reveal insights into how a prominent member of the Accademia del Cimento might have perceived the emergence of the circle and its activity.

The paper will use the “pyramid of knowledge” as an analytical framework for elucidating the philosophical background of the Cimento, with a particular focus on meteorology. This approach will enable an examination to be made of the various interconnected intellectual traditions in Tuscany during the 17th century. [Publisher's text]