Marin Mersenne

Mathematician. Scientist. Philosopher.

Born Sept. 8, 1588, near Oizé, Maine, France.
Died Sept. 1, 1648, Paris, France.

The French monk Marin Mersenne was a true Renaissance man. A member of the Roman Catholic mendicant Order of Minims, his desire to discover new scientific ways to express the world around him led to his invention of a formula for finding prime numbers (which are now known as Mersenne Primes) and an explanation of harmony in stringed instruments entitled "L'Harmonie universelle" (1636), among many other philosophical, artistic, and scientific achievements. Long before there were any scientific journals, he formed a network of correspondence with the great philosophic and scientific minds of his time including Decrates, Girard Desargues, Pierre de Fermat, Blaise Pascal, and Galileo. They became a community of learning, debate, and discovery. It was understood that by informing Mersenne of a discovery, it would become known throughout Europe.

We bring his passion for life and curiosity about the world around him into every part of our winemaking process and into the unique and expressive wines we produce. We also believe in creating a strong community of people passionate about making great wines and sharing their knowledge to elevate the quality of all wines.

Harmonie Universalle" by Marin Mersenne.
"...The most complete description of music theory near the middle of the 17th
century in France. It covers all aspects including theoretical, practical, stylistic,
organological, mathematics, acoustics, and theological." - Wikipedia
Published by Sebastien Cramoisy, Paris, France 1636.

Links:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Marin_Mersenne.aspx
http://www.nndb.com/people/576/000107255
https://www.mersenne.org