Last week Prof. Carlo Maria Gramaccioli passed away all of a sudden at 78 in his home in Milan. He was a great Professor of Mineralogy and Physical Chemistry at the University of Milan; the biggest majority of us should have already heard at least his name. He also wrote many books about our science; I'm quoting two of his works I read: their titles are "Minerali Alpini e Prealpini" (1985) (=Alpine And Pre-Alpine Minerals), and "Il Meraviglioso Mondo Dei Cristalli" (1986) (=The Wonderful World Of Crystals). These books are still valid as consultation works and still well used by the majority of the Italian mineralogists.
I will always take his teaching as a treasure and I will never forget the advices he gave me when I was a young boy at the University, where I had the luck of knowing him. He taught me many right methods of expecting and determinating minerals even directly on the ground (mines, quarries etc.) and I will always apply his methods in order to study my minerals as well as possible.
Of course I offer my condolences to his family and I will never thank him enough for all what he taught me. I will always consider myself as a student of him.
Thank you very very much indeed, Prof. Gramaccioli!
Riccardo Modanesi.