 As a child he developed a passion for fossils; the finds he made during excursions in the areas around Turin and Asti were to form the basis for his extensive collection of fossils and geological specimens.Under pressure from his father he studied law at the University of Turin, Faculty of Law; after graduating in 1839 he entered the legal profession.On the death of his father in 1843 he abandoned his legal work and devoted his energies to geology and palaeontology, making field trips in various parts of Italy and in Spain.