While many Tuscan towns claim to have had a bigger role in history than they actually had, Pietrasanta is right in boasting to have had the inventor of the internal combustion engine born there, 200 years ago. While not many have heard about his story, the engine that powers most of our world today was invented not in Germany but in Tuscany, almost 20 years before Otto and Benz patented their versions. Father Eugenio Barsanti, a monk who loved mathematics and physics, created the first combustion engine back in 1854. Instead of gasoline or diesel, his engine used a mixture of hydrogen and air. The exhaust, therefore, was only hot steam. Despite his best efforts, the engine never gained much commercial traction and quickly became a footnote in engineering history. If only people would have been wise enough to realize how damaging to the environment hydrocarbons would become, our world would be very different today. Let us know what you think about this story by joining the conversation on social media and sharing this podcast with your friends - the more, the merrier!
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LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.gonews.it/2021/10/07/linventore-del-motore-a-scoppio-e-toscano-per-i-200-anni-premio-a-bombassei-brembo/
https://www.versilia.org/it/territorio-versilia/cultura/padre-eugenio-barsanti
https://www.informagiovani-italia.com/eugenio_barsanti.htm
https://www.comune.pietrasanta.lu.it/home/comune/amministrazione-trasparente/amministrazione-trasparente-2/organizzazione/articolazione-degli-uffici/museo-barsanti/il-museo
https://vehiclecue.it/il-motore-barsanti-matteucci/13867/

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: Blue Hope New Sky
Author: Pipe Choir Records
License: Creative Commons Attribution
Links: https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/p-c-iii-blue-hope-new-sky-creative-commons-instrumental
http://www.pipechoir.com/