The 17th century was marked by major scientific revolutions: the works of Galileo, Bacon, Newton, or those of Descartes or Pascal are illustrious examples.
Athanasius Kircher fits fully into this Grand Siècle. His works reveal the passion, the originality and the thirst for discovery that characterize the intellectual atmosphere of his time.

But who was Athanasius Kircher? What was he interested in? What did he discover? You will find some answers to these questions in the nine books of Kircher freely available on PLUME, the digital platform of the EPFL Library, as well as in this virtual exhibition.

The exhibition, divided into several parts, invites the reader to a journey into the 17th century. First, it recalls varopis events in the life of Athanasius Kircher (Biography and references). Then, it proceeds to show how he perceived the scientific method (A polymathic Jesuit), how he tried to unravel the mysteries of the world (In search of the original truth), and hot the the perception of this extraordinary character has evolved over time (A hectic life). The penultimate section provides links to the digital copies made available by the EPFL Library (Kircher's works on PLUME), and the last one highlights one of them in particular(In depth review of the work : Ars Magna Sciendi sive Combinatoriae).