Corrispondenze botaniche e reti scientifiche. Lettere a Francesco Cupani (1657-1710)

Within the landscape of European scientific culture between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Sicily occupied a prominent position as a crossroads of relationships, exchanges, and knowledge. The network of correspondence woven by Francesco Cupani documents a system of communication and collaboration that linked scholars, botanical gardens, and collections in a continuous circulation of seeds, books, and observations. Through his interlocutors—from Sherard and Hotton to Commelin and Trionfetti—emerges the image of a highly interconnected scientific community, capable of sharing results and methodologies far beyond national boundaries. The Orto della Cattolica of Misilmeri, established by Prince Giuseppe Del Bosco and directed by Cupani, became a Mediterranean hub within a European network of botanical exchanges, where the study of Sicilian flora was integrated into the broader scientific debate of the pre-Linnaean age. The letters, plant catalogues, and lists, as well as the volumes that Cupani sent and received, reveal not only the density of his contacts but also the material and intellectual circulation of knowledge that traversed the Mediterranean and Europe. When read as a whole, this botanical correspondence offers the image of a Sicily actively participating in the making of modern scientific knowledge, while maintaining a constant dialogue with the continental academic centres.

Nel panorama della cultura scientifica europea tra Seicento e Settecento, la Sicilia occupa un posto di rilievo come crocevia di relazioni, scambi e conoscenze. La rete di corrispondenze intessuta da Francesco Cupani documenta un sistema di comunicazione e collaborazione che unisce studiosi, orti botanici e collezioni in un flusso continuo di semi, libri e osservazioni.