ABSTRACT
Antoine Hercule Romuald Florence was born in Nice, France, on February 29th, 1804. He was the son of Arnaud Florence, an army surgeon, and Augustine de Vignallys. After their son, Hercule, was born, Arnaud Florence started to work as a tax collector in the city of Vintimille. At his own initiative, Florence delved into his studies of mathematics and physics; from his early years, he would conceive ideas and projects by displaying a remarkable self-discipline, a quality that would prove itself very useful in his future. Florence reveals that, at a young age, while reading Robinson Crusoe, he was fascinated by travels and maritime adventures: <disp-quote> [T]hat pleasure led him to Geography and he spent long hours musing over a good atlas that we had at home. The vessel had participated in the Blockade of Barcelona and, after the campaign was over, it returned to Toulon where Florence waited for its new departure.</disp-quote>.
