Evangelista, an eminent Italian mathematician and philosopher, was born on the 15th of October 1608. It seems doubtful whether he was born at Modigliana, a country-seat in Romagna, or at Piancaldoli, in the diocese of Imola. He was trained in Latin literature by his uncle, a monk of Faenza; and after cultivating mathematical knowledge for some time without a master, he studied under Father Benedict Castelli, professor of mathematics at Rome. Having read Galileo's dialogues, he composed a treatise on motion, on his principles. This recommended him to the notice of Galileo, who took him home as an assistant; but Galileo died in three months after. He became professor of mathematics at Florence, and greatly improved the art of making telescopes and microscopes. But he is best known for discovering a method of ascertaining the weight of the atmosphere by quicksilver—the barometer being called, from him, the Torricellian tube. (See Barometer and Hydrodynamics.) He published a volume entitled Opera Geometrica, Florent. 1644, 4to. He died in the year 1647.