ZUCCHI, NICOLA. — Physico-mathematician, preacher, and ascetical writer, b. at Parma on 6 Dec. 1586, d. at Rome on 21 May 1670.
Having entered the Society of Jesus at Padua (1602), he taught philosophy, theology, and mathematics at the Roman College for many years, later becoming its rector. He also governed the College of Ravenna and served as Apostolic Preacher in the Vatican for seven years. He accompanied Cardinal Alessandro Orsini on his legation to the court of Ferdinand II and there met Johannes Kepler.
He wrote several works on machines and optics.
In his *Optica philosophia experimentis et ratione a fundamentis constituta* (London 1656), he presented his discovery of the telescope and thus became the first to observe the spots on the planet Jupiter (1630).
As an apostle, Zucchi is renowned for many devotional booklets, including: *Pratica della vera divotione in aiuto delle Anime, che sono in Purgatorio* (Rome 1659); *Pratica per passare le feste del santo Natale con vera pietà cristiana* (ibid. 1667); and *Sulla vera devozione nella servitù della Vergine Nostra Signora* (Rome 1666), which contains the well-known prayer widely circulated in many languages: *O Signora mia e Madre mia* (*O Domina mea et mater mea* [*Preces et pia opera*, Rome 1952, p. 340]). He also authored a notable work on the religious state: *Breve notitia della vita religiosa* (ibid. 1671).