the first commercial model of a Venturi tube. This was followed in 1926 by Cecil Aggeler's bachelor's thesis, "Design of a Venturi Type Current Meter." Historian of science Another of Venturi's treatises demonstrated his abilities as a historian of science. He was the first to call attention to the importance of Leonardo da Vinci as a scientist, rather than simply as an artist, in the 1797 booklet, Essai sur les ouvrages physico-mathématiques de Léonard de Vinci. He has also worked on hydraulics with him. They were considered to be the first to study tribology. Jérôme Lalande, Director of the Paris Observatory, commended Venturi to General Napoleon Bonaparte as "one of the men most competent to bring renown to Italy and to build there useful waterworks and do good work in mathematics and physics," and praised his ability in the art of civil engineering and military architecture. The Abbé Venturi used Napoleon's influence and protection to frustrate the intrigues of those in his country who tried to oust him from his position at the University. Bonaparte made him a member of the Corps législatif, professor at the Military School of Modena, and Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Adverse political influences subjected Venturi to many vicissitudes, even leading to imprisonment. But after the conquest of Italy, the First Consul Napoleon gave him a professorship at the University of Pavia, and he was assigned several diplomatic missions. Venturi also continued to apply his engineering expertise in mine work and hydraulic construction. Later, he was made Diplomatic Agent of the Helvetic Confederation, and spent twelve years in Switzerland. He retired in 1813, due to failing health, and was granted a pension on the maximum scale by the Emperor Napoleon. On his return to Reggio he set about the publication of a number of scientific and literary works. In 1814 Venturi wrote Commentarj sopra la storia e le teorie dell' ottica (Commentaries about the history and theory of optics), which included Hero of Alexandria's treatise on the dioptra and from 1818 to 1821 he compiled, edited and published many of Galileo's manuscripts and letters in Memorie e lettere inedite finora o disperse di Galileo Galilei, ordinate e illustrate con annotazioni. He was also the first author who acknowledged Leonardo da Vinci's work on tribology, publishing a commentary on some Leonardo's notebooks, written between 1493-4 and 1515, which have been transferred from the Ambrosian Library