La figura di Corrado Bonfanti: dalla mostra PSIC al fondo librario. Approfondimenti e spunti di riflessione dal workshop tenutosi all’Università di Udine il 17 aprile 2024

In this paper we present some reflections on the contributions of Corrado Bonfanti concerning the history of computing, discussed during the meeting held at the University of Udine on April 17, 2024, both on the PSIC exhibition (“Percorsi Storici dell’Informatica e del Calcolo”) and on the book collection now housed at the “A. Volta” school in Trieste. After a brief introduction to this initiative, the attention shifted to the main aspects of his work and the peculiarities of his bequest. The role played by Corrado Bonfanti at the University of Udine and at “A. Volta”school are examined, offering a picture of his intense activity through some biographical insights. Then, we will focus on some of the most significant features of his collections, such as abaci, calculating devices and the first computers, linking the artefacts of the exhibition in the context of history of mathematics and the development of computing.