Draft:Fiorenzo Mazzi

Fiorenzo Mazzi (1924–2017) born in Florence and passed away in Pavia, was a prominent figure in the fields of mineralogy and crystallography.

From 1960 to 1997, he taught at the University of Pavia as a professor of Mineralogy, significantly contributing to the education of many generations of students. Following his retirement, he was appointed professor emeritus and remained active within the department until 2016.

Contributions
Renowned for his expertise in resolving and refining complex crystal structures, particularly polytypes and twins. Mazzi was a reference point for many Italian and foreign scholars in the field of mineralogical crystallography, deeply influencing research and scientific practice in this sector. In this capacity, he played a crucial role in the development of structural crystallography in Italy.

As a pioneering researcher, Mazzi founded and led (until the early 1970s) the Centro di Studio per la Cristallografia Strutturale del CNR di Pavia, significantly advancing the field of structural crystallography in Italy.

His contributions extended beyond the classroom, as Mazzi played pivotal roles in various scientific organizations. Prof. Mazzi contributed to the foundation in Pavia of the Società Mineralogica Italiana in 1940 that later on became the current Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia (SIMP) in 1971. He was also an co-founder of the Associazione Italiana di Cristallografia (AIC) established in 1967 in Pavia of which he served as its first president until 1969. Following his will now prizes are awarded to his memory to young students by both the Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia (SIMP) and the Associazione Italiana di Cristallografia (AIC).

To his memory the mineral Mazzite has been approved by the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names (CNMMN) (now Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification -CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA).