Michele Mercati (1541-1593). (The History of Mineral Collecting: 1530-1799)

Michele Mercati was born to a wealthy family in San Miniato, between Pisa and Florence. His father Pietro was a prominent physician whose practice frequently took him to Rome; his mother, Lady Alfonsina Fiamminga, was of a noble family; and his grandfather Michele was a noted humanist and philosopher who moved in the highest scholarly circles.

Mercati studied first in San Miniato, then enrolled at the University of Pisa for his degree in Philosophy and Medicine. There he studied under Andrea Cesalpino (1519-1603), a celebrated physician, Professor of Materia Medica, and one of the greatest botanists of all time. The two became good friends for life, and Mercati became a proficient botanist. During these years he also studied minerals of medicinal value.

After earning his degree around 1561, he joined his father in Rome and worked as a physician. His dedication to medicine was put thoroughly to the test in 1566 when an epidemic swept Rome; he distinguished himself by making house calls throughout the city and never refusing to go where he was needed. …