Federico Sacco

Federico Sacco (February 5, 1864, in Fossano – October 2, 1948, in Trofarello) was an Italian geologist, paleontologist and mycologist.

Biography He was the son of Giuseppe Antonio, a doctor, and Faustina Maria Quaglia. After his secondary studies in Fossano, Federico Sacco graduated in 1884 in natural sciences at the University of Turin; he was a disciple of Martino Baretti, collaborator and friend of Quintino Sella and Luigi Bellardi, a renowned Piedmontese paleontologist.

For over thirty years, from 1897 to 1935, he held the chair of geology at the Polytechnic University of Turin and, for over forty years, that of paleontology at the University of Turin. He was a member of the Accademia dei Lincei, a member of the Academy of Sciences of Turin and president of the Italian Geological Society. A passionate mountaineer and speleologist, he was an active member of the Italian Alpine Club for most of his life.

He was one of the founders in 1911–12 of the Urania Society, created as the result of a split from the Italian Astronomical Society, for which he directed the publication of Saggi di astronomia popolare, a series of popular texts. He also did research on hydrography, speleology, seismology and cosmology. He also dedicated biographies to illustrious scientists, including Carlo Fabrizio Parona and Giuseppe Mercalli.

Recognition

Plaque commemorating the 10th anniversary of Federico Sacco's death.

Above the door of Federico Sacco's house in Fossano, affixed to the wall, there is a plaque commemorating the tenth anniversary of the scholar's death which shows an incorrect date of death and place: Turin, 14 October 1948.

In Fossano there is a school that has been dedicated to the scientist since 2019: the "Istituto Comprensivo Federico Sacco".

Principal works I molluschi dei terreni terziari del Piemonte e della Liguria, (The molluscs of the tertiary lands of Piedmont and Liguria), 30 vols., partly also with Luigi Bellardi, Clausen, Turin 1872–1904. L'anfiteatro morenico di Rivoli ("The morainic amphitheater of Rivoli"), Lit. Doyen, Torino 1886. Sulla Costituzione geologica degli altipiani isolati di Fossano, Salmour e Banale (On the geological constitution of the isolated plateaus of Fossano, Salmour and Banale), Tip. Camilla e Bertolero, Torino 1887. Geologia applicata del bacino terziario e quaternario del Piemonte (Applied Geology of the Tertiary and Quaternary Basin of Piedmont), Tip. Nazionale, Roma 1890. L'Appennino settentrionale (parte centrale). Studio geologico (The Northern Apennines (central part). Geological Study), Tip. R. Accademia dei Lincei, Roma 1892. L'Appennino dell'Emilia. Studio geologico sommario (The Apennines of Emilia. Summary Geological Study), Tip. R. Accademia dei Lincei, Roma 1893. L'Appennino della Romagna. Studio geologico sommario (The Apennines of Romagna. Summary Geological Study), Tip. R. Accademia dei Lincei, Roma 1899. Gli anfiteatri morenici del Veneto. Studio geologico (The morainic amphitheaters of the Veneto. Geological Study), Tip. e Lit. Bertolero, Torino 1899 L'Appennino settentrionale e centrale. Studio geologico sintetico (The northern and central Apennines. Synthetic geological study), Gerbone, Torino 1904. Geologia applicata dello Appennino settentrionale e centrale (Applied Geology of the Northern and Central Apennines), Tip. Camilla e Bertolero, Torino 1904. L'Appennino meridionale. Studio geologico sintetico (The Southern Apennines. Synthetic Geological Study), Tip. Cuggiani, Roma 1910. L'evolution biologique et humaine. Essai synthetique et considerations (Biological and Human Evolution. Synthetic Essay and Considerations), Utet-Beranger, Torino-Parigi 1910. Geoidrologia dei pozzi profondi della Valle Padana (Geohydrology of deep wells in the Po Valley), 3 voll., Bona, Torino 1912–1933. Universo. Saggio di sintesi cosmica (Universe. Essay on cosmic synthesis), Lattese & C., Torino 1916. Formazione dei serbatoi Montani. Considerazioni meteorologiche e geoidrologiche (Formation of Montani reservoirs. Meteorological and geohydrological consideration), Borzoni e C., Torino 1918. La sistemazione idrico-forestale dei bacini montani (The hydro-forestry arrangement of mountain basins), Tip. Nistri, Pisa 1918 L'Istria. Cenni geologici generali (Istria. General geological notes), Soc. tip. Monregalese, Mondovì 1924. Origini ed evoluzione della vita (Origins and evolution of life), Ulrico Hoepli, Milano 1937. Come si e formata la faccia della Terra (How the Face of the Earth Was Formed), Tip. Checchini, Torino 1941.