Vincenzo Petagna

Vincenzo Petagna (17 January 1734 – 6 October 1810) was an Italian biologist, physician and entomologist. He was appointed as director of the small botanical garden pertaining to the Monastery of Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto (associated with the church now known as Sant'Anna dei Lombardi) in central Naples. He was also the teacher of Antonio Savaresi. The plant Petagnaea gussonei has been named after him.

Life Vincenzo Petagna was born in Naples on 17 January 1734; his father was Antonino Petagna, while his mother was Orsola Cuomo; his parents were described as "honest and fearful parents". As a boy, he first studied at the Jesuits, where he learned Latin. He later also studied philosophy and medicine and graduated in medicine at about the age of 20. Later, animated by interest in medicine, he followed a course of medicina-pratica taught by Luigi Visone. He was also a member of the Real Deputation of Health.

His only wish, according to the sources, was to have a sufficiently large botanical garden, but he was barely allowed to have a small one in the center of the previous Monastery of Monteoliveto, Naples . He died on 6 October 1810, perhaps in Naples. According to the sources, he was also a devoted Catholic.

Works by Petagna's pupil Giulio Candida