Vitaliano Donati

Vitaliano Donati (Padua, 1717 - Indian Ocean, 1762) was an Italian physician, archaeologist, and botanist pivotal to the creation of the Egyptian Museum of Turin. After studying medicine and philosophy, he was commissioned by Pope Benedict XIV to collect objects for the natural history museum of La Sapienza University in Rome. In 1750, Charles Emmanuel III entrusted him with the chairs of botany and natural history in Turin, where he directed the Botanical Garden and enriched the local flora. In 1759, under the same king, he undertook an expedition to Egypt and India, collecting archaeological objects for the future Egyptian Museum of Turin. His death in 1762 did not stop Donati's influence on the formation of the prestigious museum.