Vittorio Zonca

Vittorio Zonca , Italian mechanic, had been born towards 1580.

Biography

Being applied early to the study of the Mathematical and the Architecture, Vittorio Zonca there made rapids progress, and was honoured with the title of architect of the town of Padoue. The sight, says one, by the collection of machines of Agostino Ramelli inspired the taste of mechanics to him.

At all events, one had soon a crowd of very clever inventions and improvements to him of which it published description under this title: Nuovo teatru di machine ED edifizj per varies E sicure operazioni , Padoue, 1607 or 1621, in-fol. One still quotes editions of 1653 and 1656; but this volume would not be also rare if there existed about it so much of reprintings. It contains forty-four boards, which represent the endless screw of Archimedes, of the models of locks for the ship canals, of the mills with corn of various kinds, of the presses, the mill of the fuller, that of the powder manufacturer, there press of the printer in characters and that of the printer in copper-plate engraving, a machine to roast the meats put moving by smoke; but, which is more remarkable still, a spinning machine driven by water, similar to that which one imported of England in France, without one asserting up to now of it the honor for the clever Italian artist, too little known, even of his compatriots.

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