Department A brief history of the Department of Physics and Astronomy

A brief history of the Department of Physics and Astronomy

Institute of Physics

The Institute of Physics, originated from the former Physics Laboratory of the Institute of Advanced Studies, was located in Arcetri since 1921, built on the initiative of Antonio Giorgio Garbasso, who remained director until his death in 1933. Garbasso was the scientist who correctly interpreted the Stark effect, by using the atomic theory. He was succeeded by Laureto Tieri from 1933 to 1949, Simone Franchetti from 1949 to 1977 and Ruggero Querzoli from 1977 to 1983.

In the 1920s several important physicists came to Florence, thanks to the initiative of Garbasso. Garbasso held the position of mayor of Florence from 1920 to 1928. Thanks to his influence, he managed to create a physics center in Arcetri and to open new positions, which were held by physicists such as Franco Rasetti (1922 - 1926), Enrico Fermi (1924 - 1926), Bruno Rossi (1927 - 1932), Gilberto Bernardini (1928 - 1936), Beppo Occhialini (1930 - 1937), Giulio Racah (1934 - 1937), Daria Bocciarelli (1933 - 1937). In Florence, Fermi wrote the famous article on statistics which will bear his name.

After the dispersion of the Arcetri school, due both to the racial laws of 1938 and the Second World War, the legacy of the Institute was collected during the 1950s by a new generation of physicists, formed by Nello Carrara, Michele Della Corte, Simone Franchetti, Manlio Mandò and Giuliano Toraldo di Francia.

Institute of Theoretical Physics

The chair of Theoretical Physics at the University of Florence, established in 1926, was held by Enrico Persico from 1927 to 1930; it remained vacant until 1959, when it was taken by Giacomo Morpurgo, who held it until 1962. From 1962 to 1968 the position was filled by Raoul Gatto, to whom we owe the creation in Florence of a real school of Theoretical Physics. The directors were: Giacomo Morpurgo (1959-62), Raoul Gatto (1962-68), Bernardino Bosco (1969-78), Marco Ademollo (1978-80) and Giorgio Longhi (1980-83)

Institute of Advanced Physics

The Institute was born in the '70s from the fusion of the Institute of Advanced Physics (directed by Giuliano Toraldo di Francia) with the Institute of Electromagnetic Waves (directed by Nello Carrara). It was first located in the premises of IROE (CNR - Istituto Ricerca Onde Elettromagnetiche) and then in the premises of Santa Marta. Giuliano Toraldo di Francia was its director until it became part of the Department of Physics.

Department of Physics

The Department of Physics of the University of Florence was established by this resolution on January 3, 1983, with its seat in Largo Enrico Fermi 2, from the union of the Antonio Garbasso Institute of Physics, the Institute of Theoretical Physics and the Institute of Advanced Physics. Since 2001 it occupies the new premises at the Scientific Pole in Sesto Fiorentino. In 2010 the Department of Astronomy and Space Science was merged into the Department of Physics, which thus assumed the name of Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Directors of the Department of Physics (Physics and Astronomy since 2010)

1983-1988	Paolo Blasi
1988-1991	Nello Taccetti
1991-1994	Fabrizio Barocchi
1994-1997	Roberto Casalbuoni
1997-2000	Giorgio Longhi
2000-2006	Marcello Colocci
2006-2010	Daniele Dominici
2010-2016	Enrico Iacopini
2016-2020	Alessandro Marconi
2020-	Duccio Fanelli

INFN Florence Branch

The Florence branch of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), born in Arcetri in 1952 as a subsection of the National Committee for Nuclear Research and which became an autonomous section in 1972, is also located in Sesto Fiorentino.

Directors of the INFN Florence’s branch

1952-1966	Simone Franchetti
1966-1968	Renato Angelo Ricci
1968-1972	Manlio Mandò
1972-1978	Giuliano Di Caporiacco
1978-1981	Bernardino Bosco
1981-1987	Roberto Casalbuoni
1987-1990	Bianca Monteleoni
1990-1996	Piero Spillantini
1996-2002	Paolo Maurenzig
2002-2008	Enrico Iacopini
2008-2015	Pier Andrea Mandò
2015-	Oscar Adriani

Insights

Articles and other contributions about the history of the Department

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