Giuseppe Stefano Raddi

Born in Florence on July 9, 1770, Raddi faced financial difficulties following the premature death of his father when he was only six years old. While working in a pharmacy, he dedicated his free time to botany, studying medicinal plants, and reading the works of Pietro Andrea Mattioli.

At the age of 15, Raddi met Gaetano Savi, who would later become a professor of botany in Pisa. Both were mentored by the physician and botanist Ottaviano Targioni Tozzetti. Thanks to Tozzetti’s influence, Raddi joined the Natural History Museum of Florence in 1785.

Between 1785 and 1808, Raddi perfected his understanding of botany and learned Latin, English, French, and German. His first scientific contributions, published between 1806 and 1808, detailed new fungus and moss species found in the area around Florence.

With the support of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Raddi joined the Austrian mission leaving from the port of Livorno on September 4, 1817 aboard the frigate San Sebastiano. After a voyage of 82 days, he disembarked in Rio de Janeiro on November 5, 1817, ready to explore Brazil.

Despite the difficulties, Raddi collected between 3,000 and 4,000 plants, 2,230 insects, 49 reptiles, 65 minerals, and 340 seeds in Brazil. His collections were gathered primarily in the area surrounding Rio de Janeiro.

After a stay of just eight months in Brazil, Raddi set sail back to Europe on June 10, 1818. He was accompanied on the return journey by botanist Johann Mikan and painters Thomas Ender and Johann Buchberger, all members of the Austrian mission.

In 1828, Raddi was chosen to accompany a French-Tuscan expedition to Egypt. The mission, which departed from Toulon on August 31, 1828, aimed to document monuments along the Nile River. Raddi collected and described new species, enriching botanical knowledge of the region.

Raddi's botanical collections are to be found primarily in Pisa and Florence. Two sets of duplicates were distributed by Raddi to Bologna and Kew. Filippo Parlatore (1816-1877) labeled the duplicates in Florence and distributed them to other European herbaria.

Raddi was not the first Italian to study the Brazilian flora. Domenico Agostino Vandelli (1735-1816) studied herbarium specimens earlier, but never set foot in Brazil. Raddi stands out as a pioneer in the exploration of Brazilian flora, leaving behind an inspiring legacy.