Giovanni Faber was a German papal doctor, botanist and art collector, originally from Bamberg in Bavaria, who lived in Rome from 1598.
17 Facts About Giovanni Faber
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Giovanni Faber was curator of the Vatican botanical garden, a member and the secretary of the Accademia dei Lincei.
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Giovanni Faber acted throughout his career as a political broker between Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria and Rome.
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Giovanni Faber was a friend of fellow Linceian Galileo Galilei and the German painters in Rome, Johann Rottenhammer and Adam Elsheimer.
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Giovanni Faber has been credited with inventing the name "microscope".
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Johann Faber was born the son of Protestant parents in Bamberg in 1574.
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Giovanni Faber was raised and educated in the Catholic faith by his cousin Philip Schmidt.
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Giovanni Faber studied medicine at the University of Wurzburg and graduated in 1597.
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Giovanni Faber later turned exclusively to the study of animal anatomy.
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Giovanni Faber cultivated deep artistic interests, becoming an avid collector of paintings.
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Giovanni Faber attended the papal court regularly under five Popes, and developed friendships with powerful figures including cardinals Cinzio Aldobrandini, Scipione Borghese, Francesco Barberini and Scipione Cobelluzzi.
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Giovanni Faber's visit seems to have been instrumental in securing Campanella's transfer to the more humane prison of Castel dell'Ovo.
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Giovanni Faber was friendly with Peter Paul Rubens who was working in the city until 1608, as well as other painters and miniaturists.
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Corvino was to become a member of the Accademia dei Lincei in 1611, and Giovanni Faber came to know a number of the men who were involved in its work, including Federico Cesi, its founder, Johann Schreck and Theophilus Muller.
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Giovanni Faber hoped to make him a gift of a telescope, but was unable to do so owing to the difficulties Galileo was experiencing in producing lenses of sufficiently high quality.
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Giovanni Faber has been credited with giving the microscope its name.
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Giovanni Faber was survived by several children; Maria Vittoria, Maria Maddalena and Giano Domenico.