First described in 1800 by Alessandro Volta (February 18, 1745 - March 5, 1827), a voltaic pile consists of a series of zinc and cooper discs separated by conducting cards. The pile produces continuous electric current and was used for experiments. This voltaic pile was exhibited at the Volta Centenary Exhibition in Volta's birthplace, Como, Italy, in 1899. The voltaic pile was the first electrical battery that could continuously provide an electric current to a circuit. Volta stacked several pairs of alternating copper (or silver) and zinc discs (electrodes) separated by cloth or cardboard soaked in brine (electrolyte) to increase the electrolyte conductivity. When the top and bottom contacts were connected by a wire, an electric current flowed through the voltaic pile and the connecting wire.