From England to Italy: The Intriguing Story of Poli’s Engine for the King of Naples

An interesting, yet unknown, episode concerning the effective permeation of scientific revolution in XVIII century Kingdom Naples (and, more generally, Italy) is recounted. The quite intriguing story Watt's steam engine prepared for serving a Royal Estate King Carditello reveals fascinating piece history that Kingdom, as well an unknown step engine, whose final entrepreneurial success celebrated Boulton & Watt company was direct consequence. That unveils that, contrary to what claimed literature, first introduction Italy most important technological innovation did not take place with construction steamship Mediterranean Sea, but rather 30 years before thanks incomparable work Giuseppe Saverio Poli, leading scholar and very influential figure Naples. tragic epilogue Poli's testifies its vanishing historical memory.