The creators of the veterinary school in Ferrara: two members of the Campana family

Abstract

In the second half of the 18th century, a new awareness in education started to rise, placing greater importance on veterinary science. We are talking about a hundred years of history. Antonio Campana and Tommaso Bonaccioli, grandsons of Barbara Campana, were the creators of the Veterinary School of Ferrara in their own right. Among the teachers, we especially remember the first, Luigi Le Roy of the Lyon school. This Veterinary School, founded in 1762, was the place to train teachers for the upcoming schools around Europe. Antonio Campana was an eclectic scientist who also stood out in this discipline. Tommaso Bonaccioli, who studied at the School of Milan during the Napoleonic era, was highly regarded among foreign researchers for being a pioneer in this field. This can be proven by numerous publications and lectures at the Academy of Sciences in Ferrara, where he also served as president. His collaborators were able to keep the highest standards by continuing the founder's work. Unfortunately, despite the appreciation of the students, the Veterinary School of Ferrara was closed in 1880 due to a lack of funding. The search for unpublished original documentation was conducted in the Historical Archives (Municipal, Ariostea Municipal Library, Academy of Sciences and University of Ferrara).