Born in 1623 here in Pittem, Ferdinand Verbiest led an exceptional life as a Jesuit missionary to China, an astronomer and an engineer. He’s even credited as inventing the first car! Born in 1623, the young Ferdinand’s thirst for knowledge was unquenchable. He studied humanities in Bruges and Kortrijk, philosophy in Leuven, and theology in Rome and Seville.
Later he constructed an aqueduct, designed a new gun carriage, cast 300 cannons of various types for the imperial army, and even designed what has been described as the first working steam-powered vehicle. At around 60 cm in length it was too small to carry a human passenger, but was nevertheless a remarkable invention.
Source: Discovering Belgium
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