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Germain Sommeiller (February 15, 1815, in Saint-Jeoire – July 11, 1871) was an Italian civil engineer from Savoy. He directed the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel between France and Italy, also known as the Mont Cenis Tunnel. This was the first of a series of major tunnels built in the late 19th century to connect northern and southern Europe through the Alps. Sommeiller pioneered the use of pneumatic drilling and dynamite to achieve record-breaking excavation speeds.^[1] This 13.7km tunnel was completed on 26 December 1870, 11 years ahead of schedule. It remained the longest tunnel in the world until the opening of the Gotthard Rail Tunnel in 1882.

Life

Germain Sommeiller was born in Saint-Jeoire (now part of Haute-Savoie, France) on 15 February 1815. He graduated in civil engineering at the University of Turin in 1841. He became a Royal Civil Engineer in the Public Transport Department of Savoy in 1845. From 1846 to 1850 he worked for the Cockerill steel company in Liège, which helped build the Belgian rail network. He met his future partner Sebastiano Grandis there. He then returned to Savoy as assistant to the Belgian engineer Henri Maus, who directed the construction of the Turin-Genoa railway.

He was recognised for outstanding technical skills, so when king Vittorio Emanuele II decided to build the Mont Cenis Tunnel between Bardonecchia and Modane in 1857, Sommeiller was appointed head of design and construction. His collaborators were the Italian engineers Sebastiano Grandis and Severino Grattoni.^[2] He patented the pneumatic rock-drilling machine, used in the tunnelling works, based on the invention of Giovanni Battista Piatti.

Politics

When Savoy was annexed to France in 1860, Someiller chose to become an Italian rather than a French citizen. He was subsequently elected a member of the first Italian Parliament.

Death

Germain Sommeiller died in his native town of Saint-Jeoire on 11 July 1871, six months after the December 1870 completion of the tunnel.^[2] Pointe Sommeiller, a 3332-metre-high peak in the Cottian Alps, and Col Sommeiller, the nearby mountain pass linking Bramans, France to Bardonecchia, Italy, were named in his honour. Several streets in Savoy cities such as Annecy also bear Sommeiller's name.

References

^ Mokyr, Joel (2003). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History. Oxford University Press. p. 519. ISBN 978-0-19-510507-0.
^ ^a ^b Whymper, Edward (1893). Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860-69. John Murray. p. 70.

External links

Germain Sommeiller | Britannica

[1] Mokyr, Joel (2003). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History. Oxford University Press. p. 519. ISBN 978-0-19-510507-0.

[:0-2] Whymper, Edward (1893). Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860-69. John Murray. p. 70.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{short description|Italian politician}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
 [[Image:Ritratto di Germano Sommeiller, ante 1894 - Accademia delle Scienze di Torino - Ritratti 0156 B.jpg|thumb|Germain Sommeiller]]
 [[Image:Sommeiller drill.jpg|right|thumb|Sommeiller's pneumatic rock-drilling machine]]
-'''Germain Sommeiller''' (February 15, 1815, [[Saint-Jeoire]] &ndash; July 11, 1871) was an Italian [[civil engineering|civil engineer]] from [[Savoy]]. He directed the construction of the [[Fréjus Rail Tunnel]] between France and Italy, also known as the Mont Cenis Tunnel. This was the first of a series of major tunnels built in the late 19th century to connect northern and southern Europe through the [[Alps]]. Sommeiller pioneered the use of [[Jackhammer|pneumatic drilling]] and [[dynamite]] to achieve record-breaking excavation speeds.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mokyr |first=Joel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ssNMAgAAQBAJ |title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-510507-0 |pages=519 |language=en}}</ref> This 12.8-km tunnel was completed on December 26, 1870, 11 years ahead of schedule. It remained the longest tunnel in the world until the opening of the [[Gotthard Rail Tunnel]] in 1882.
+'''Germain Sommeiller''' (February 15, 1815, in [[Saint-Jeoire]] – July 11, 1871) was an Italian [[civil engineering|civil engineer]] from [[Savoy]]. He directed the construction of the [[Fréjus Rail Tunnel]] between France and Italy, also known as the Mont Cenis Tunnel. This was the first of a series of major tunnels built in the late 19th century to connect northern and southern Europe through the [[Alps]]. Sommeiller pioneered the use of [[Jackhammer|pneumatic drilling]] and [[dynamite]] to achieve record-breaking excavation speeds.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mokyr |first=Joel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ssNMAgAAQBAJ |title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-510507-0 |pages=519 |language=en}}</ref> This 13.7km tunnel was completed on 26 December 1870, 11 years ahead of schedule. It remained the longest tunnel in the world until the opening of the [[Gotthard Rail Tunnel]] in 1882.
 ==Life==
-Germain Sommeiller was born in [[Saint-Jeoire]] (now part of [[Haute-Savoie]], France) on February 15, 1815. He graduated in civil engineering at the [[University of Turin]] in 1841. He became a Royal Civil Engineer in the Public Transport Department of Savoy in 1845. From 1846 to 1850 he worked for the [[Société anonyme John Cockerill|Cockerill]] steel company in [[Liège]], which helped build the [[Belgium|Belgian]] rail network. He met his future partner [[Sebastiano Grandis]] there. He then returned to Savoy as assistant to the Belgian engineer [[Henri Maus]], who directed construction of the [[Turin]]-[[Genoa]] railway.
+Germain Sommeiller was born in [[Saint-Jeoire]] (now part of [[Haute-Savoie]], France) on 15 February 1815. He graduated in civil engineering at the [[University of Turin]] in 1841. He became a Royal Civil Engineer in the Public Transport Department of Savoy in 1845. From 1846 to 1850 he worked for the [[Société anonyme John Cockerill|Cockerill]] steel company in [[Liège]], which helped build the [[Belgium|Belgian]] rail network. He met his future partner [[Sebastiano Grandis]] there. He then returned to Savoy as assistant to the Belgian engineer [[Henri Maus]], who directed the construction of the [[Turin]]-[[Genoa]] railway.
-He was noticed for outstanding technical skills, so when king [[Vittorio Emanuele II]] decided to build the [[Mont Cenis Tunnel]] between [[Bardonecchia]] and [[Modane]] in 1857, Sommeiller was appointed head of design and construction. His collaborators were the Italian engineers Sebastiano Grandis and [[Severino Grattoni]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Whymper |first=Edward |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tXcSAAAAYAAJ |title=Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860-69 |date=1893 |publisher=John Murray |pages=70 |language=en}}</ref> He patented the [[Jackhammer|pneumatic rock-drilling machine]], used in the tunnelling works, based on the invention of [[Giovanni Battista Piatti]].
+He was recognised for outstanding technical skills, so when king [[Vittorio Emanuele II]] decided to build the [[Mont Cenis Tunnel]] between [[Bardonecchia]] and [[Modane]] in 1857, Sommeiller was appointed head of design and construction. His collaborators were the Italian engineers Sebastiano Grandis and [[Severino Grattoni]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Whymper |first=Edward |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tXcSAAAAYAAJ |title=Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860-69 |date=1893 |publisher=John Murray |pages=70 |language=en}}</ref> He patented the [[Jackhammer|pneumatic rock-drilling machine]], used in the tunnelling works, based on the invention of [[Giovanni Battista Piatti]].
 ==Politics==
@@ Line 15: / Line 16: @@
 ==Death==
-Germain Sommeiller died in his native town of Saint-Jeoire on July 11, 1871, six months after the December 1870 completion of the tunnel.<ref name=":0" /> [[Pointe Sommeiller]], a 3332-meter-high peak in the [[Cottian Alps]], and Col Sommeiller, the nearby mountain pass linking [[Bramans]], France to [[Bardonecchia]], Italy, were named in his honour. Several streets in Savoy cities such as [[Annecy]] also bear Sommeiller's name.
+Germain Sommeiller died in his native town of Saint-Jeoire on 11 July 1871, six months after the December 1870 completion of the tunnel.<ref name=":0" /> [[Pointe Sommeiller]], a 3332-metre-high peak in the [[Cottian Alps]], and Col Sommeiller, the nearby mountain pass linking [[Bramans]], France to [[Bardonecchia]], Italy, were named in his honour. Several streets in Savoy cities such as [[Annecy]] also bear Sommeiller's name.
 ==References==

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