Giambattista della Porta (1535-1615), Italian scholar and polymath. Della Porta was born near Naples into a noble family and was tutored by the many learned visitors his father entertained. Being of independent means, della Porta could indulge his studies. He published many important books on diverse subjects such as cryptography, physiognomy, meteorology, optics and astronomy. He founded the Academia Secretorum Naturae, one of the first scientific societies in Europe, although it was forced to disband when the society was alleged to have dealt in the occult. As well as his numerous scientific works, della Porta penned 17 known theatrical works in the tradition of the commedia erudita. It is claimed he also invented the first telescope although he died before publishing his treatise. This engraving comes from della Porta's book De distillationibus published at Strasbourg in 1609.