Un articolo di Medium ci introduce alla figura di Laura Bassi, accademica italiana, prima donna ad ottenere una cattedra universitaria in una disciplina scientifica in Europa e 25esimo membro dei benedettini dell’Accademia delle Scienze dell’Istituto di Bologna.

Laura Maria Caterina Bassi (1711–1778) was born at the end of October 1711, in the Papal city state of Bologna. Her brightness was shining already at a young age. Initially she was followed by her cousin, Father Lorenzo Stegani, who taught her French, Latin and mathematics, all of which she quickly and equally mastered. When she was 13, her tutor, physician Gaetano Tacconi, was granted her parents’ permission to teach her logic, physics, psychology and other subjects taught in universities that she — being a woman — couldn’t attend.

As if this was not already remarkable enough, that same year, after another public defence of 12 theses on the nature of water as a natural element, Laura was officially appointed to a chair of Physics at the University of Bologna, making her the first female academic with a salaried teaching position in a scientific field we have records for in the Western World.

Di Laura Bassi e del suo legame con l’Università di Bologna parla anche un articolo di PhysicsWorld.

Fat and learned Bologna may have been, but it was also jokingly known as a “paradise for women” because of its habit of celebrating female success. In the Middle Ages Bologna reputedly produced women famous for their legal acumen; during the Renaissance it abounded in female artists.

L’Accademia delle Scienze dell’Istituto di Bologna inizialmente non incluse Laura Bassi nel gruppo di 24 benedettini, accademici di chiara fama che avrebbero ricevuto uno stipendio annuale. Scoperto questo, Laura Bassi inviò una lettera a Papa Benedetto XIV, che l’aveva precedentemente incoraggiata e supportata, per chiedere di essere inclusa nel gruppo come 25esimo membro. La richiesta fu accolta, ciononostante Laura Bassi non ottenne tutti i privilegi della posizione, in quanto fu accettata nel gruppo solo come membro non votante. L’Accademia delle Scienze dell’Istituto di Bologna divenne nel tempo una delle società più aperte alla partecipazione delle donne:

They also began to admit more women as honorary members of the Bologna Academy, including Châtelet in 1746 and the Milanese mathematician Maria Gaetana Agnesi in 1748. In an era in which neither the Royal Society of London nor the Paris Academy of Sciences admitted any women, Bologna was indeed a city of scientific women.

Rai Storia ha anche prodotto un docufilm dedicato a lura Bassi “Una cattedra per Laura Bassi. Bologna 1732”.

Immagine da Wikimedia Commons.