Maria Medina Coeli facts for kids

Maria Medina Coeli (born in Chiavenna, Italy, in 1764 – died in Pianello Lario, Italy, in 1846) was a brilliant Italian scientist. She was a doctor, an inventor, and a botanist who studied plants. She was also known as Helena Perpenti after she got married.

Maria's father, Sebastian Medina Coeli, was also a doctor. Her mother was Isabella Battistessa Coeli. Maria was the youngest of five children in her family.

Fighting Diseases

Maria became interested in medicine at a young age. She especially wanted to find a way to stop smallpox, a very dangerous disease. She wrote letters to a doctor named Luigi Sacco in Milan to learn more.

Maria worked hard to create a vaccine (a shot that protects you from a disease) for smallpox. She even tested it on herself and her family first! This was a common practice back then. Because of her efforts, vaccination started in the Como area of Italy.

Her work helped protect many people from smallpox. She showed great courage and dedication to public health.

Amazing Inventions

Maria also loved studying natural science. She moved to Como to continue her studies. In 1788, she married Bernardino Lena Perpenti and became known as Helena Perpenti. She had fifteen children in twenty-one years!

Even with many children, Maria kept up her scientific work. She invented a special way to spin asbestos. Asbestos is a natural mineral that can resist fire. Her invention made her very famous in Italy and other countries.

Fireproof Fabrics

Maria used a special comb to spin asbestos fibers. This allowed her to weave many different products. She made beautiful lace and fabrics that could not burn. One amazing item she created was a pair of gloves. These gloves were completely fireproof! She gave them to Eugenio Beauharnais, who was a viceroy (a ruler representing a king).

Maria also used small pieces of asbestos to make fireproof paper. She created a special ink that was also resistant to fire. This ink was made with vitriol and manganese. She sent samples of her fireproof pamphlets to different libraries. She also sent samples to her friend, the famous scientist Alessandro Volta.

Awards and Recognition

Maria's inventions caught the eye of many important people. She won a silver medal in 1806 from the National Institute of Milan. The next year, in 1807, she won a gold medal!

News of her work even reached Paris, France. The Society of Encouragement for National Industry heard about her inventions. It is said that her work impressed even Napoleon himself!

Studying Plants

Maria Coeli, known as Helena Perpenti, also loved to study plants. She used the Linnean classification system to organize and name plants. This system helps scientists classify living things.

She studied the plants growing in the Lario valleys, which are near Lake Como. In 1817, she made an exciting discovery. She found a new type of campanula flower! This rare flower was later named campanula Perpentiae in her honor.

After her discovery was published, Maria earned a special place. She was recognized as an important naturalist in the French Dictionary of Inventions. This shows how much her work was valued.

See also

In Spanish: Helena Perpenti para niños