 Riva Rocci was born on 7 August in Almese in 1863.He graduated in medicine and surgery in 1888 from the University of Turin.From 1888 to 1898 he acted as assistant lecturer at the propaedeutic medical clinic in Turin under the guidance of Carlo Forlanini and assisted him in the application of "iatrogenic pneumothorax" for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.