Voltaic pile Voltaic pile The voltaic pile was the first electrical battery that could continuously provide an electric current to a circuit. It was invented by Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, who published his experiments in 1799. The voltaic pile then enabled a rapid series of other discoveries including the electrical decomposition (electrolysis) of water into oxygen and hydrogen by William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle (1800) and the discovery or isolation of the chemical elements sodium (1807), potassium (1807), calcium (1808), boron (1808), barium (1808), strontium (1808), and magnesium (1808) by Humphry Davy. The entire 19th century electrical industry was powered by batteries
University of Pavia that immediately preceded the Unification (1859–66). During the following centuries, through periods of both adversity and prosperity, the fame of the University of Pavia grew over the last years due to the large number of applicants. Throughout its history, the university has benefited from the presence of many learned men and distinguished scientists who wrote celebrated works and made important discoveries: mathematician Girolamo Cardano (born in Pavia, 1501–76), physicist Alessandro Volta (Pavia chair of natural philosophy 1769-1804), poet Ugo Foscolo (chair of Italian eloquence 1809-10). Three Nobel Prize winners also taught in Pavia: physician Camillo Golgi (at Pavia from 1861),