Carlo Callerio
was born in Albonese, near Pavia, on April the
3rd, 1901.
The fourth of seven children of a chemist, he
belonged to a wealthy family of landowners.
He graduated in medicine with first class honours
at the University of Pavia, and received his
MD at the University of Padova. In the course
of his career he became, among the rest, the
assistant of prof. Emilio Veratti, a pupil of
the Nobel prize Golgi. In the first thirties
he was often at the reputed Pasteur Institute
of Paris and the Hygiene Institute of Berlin.
In 1933 he was forced to leave the university
career for having refused to join the fascist
party. As a result in the period 1933-1947 he
turned his skills as a physician and researcher
to the pharmaceutical industry, continuing with
his research with the meager means available.
Since 1936 his private life and his fondness
of research were shared with his spouse, Dirce
Babudieri, a triestine woman, the sister
of prof. Brenno - a worldwide reputed microbiologist
as well as one of the most passionate supporters
of the need for a Medicine faculty within Trieste
University.
In 1947 together with a chemist, Dr. Ferrari,
he founded in Milan the SPA (Società
Prodotti Antibiotici - Company
for Antibiotic Products), of which he became
the scientific director. After having patented
the pharmaceutical use of an enzyme discovered
by Sir Alexander Fleming, the lysozyme, the
Company attained a considerable importance and
financial weight, a position that it still retains.
In 1963 prof. Callerio left the SPA of Milan
and, in full agreement with his wife, moved
to Trieste with the aim of starting a small
laboratory in order to continue on his own the
research the two of them were so fond of. They
located a suitable site on the side of Monte
Fiascone, right above the Castelletto (an ancient
villa in the shape of a small castle) belonging
to the University.
As he got acquainted with the triestine scientific
world, he became (at the age of 63) a voluntary
assistant at the Biochemistry Institute, directed
by prof. De Bernard, then located in an apartment
within a building in via del Lazzaretto Vecchio.
In the mid-sixties Trieste applied for the Medicine
Faculty its University was still lacking. While
the first medical students were already being
accepted, the University Chancellor Origone
received a letter from the Ministry for the
Public Education warning him not to begin the
lessons in lack of suitable room. Prof. Callerio,
once made aware of such a problem, not only
called personally and directly the Minister
in order to clear up the real reasons for such
an unexpected stop (maybe some pressures aimed
at having that Faculty assigned to another University?),
but also decided to build at his own expenses
the present Foundation carrying his name and
his wife's, and to have restored two nearby
cottages that - with the exception of two small
rooms - would be hired out to the University
for a token price, thus allowing to overcome
such a preposterous bureaucratic stalemate.
In the following he kept working unceasingly
at the Foundation as a researcher and as the
Director, and in tight cooperation with the
University, providing his contribution as a
physician and scientist until his last moments.
He died on July the 30th, 1999, leaving behind
a deep, genuine respect for his value both as
a scientist and as a man, and this Foundation
meant to worthily pursue his goals.
Mrs. Dirce, who kept working actively at the
Foundation until a few years ago, died on September
1st, 2002. According to her will her ashes,
as those of Prof. Callerio, were buried in a
niche in the Foundation garden wall.
|
