Girolamo Fracastoro, famous for his insight into and literary works on natural philosophy, astronomy, and medicine, was born in Verona, Italy, the sixth of seven brothers in a well-respected family. His grandfather was physician to the reigning nobility of Verona; his mother--Camilla Mascarelli--is believed to have died while he was very young. Although his father's occupation is not known, it was he who introduced the young Fracastoro to literature and philosophy, tutoring him personally before sending him off to the Academy of Padua under the guardianship of an old family friend and teacher, Girolamo della Torre, and under whom Fracastoro would ultimately study medicine. In keeping with tradition, however, he first studied liberal arts--including literature, astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy--as well as geography, botany, and pharmacology. Fracastoro married Elena de Clavis around 1500 with whom he had a daughter and four sons. Two sons died very young, and Fracastoro expressed...