Description

The first university teaching post in astronomy in Naples was created in 1735 by Carlo di Borbone. In 1791, Ferdinando I di Borbone began the construction of an observatory inside the old Palazzo degli Studi, which was already being transformed in order to host the presstigious royal collection. It was discovered that this site was not suitable for observing the heavens. The perfect place for the Astronomical Observatory was found on the rocky hillside of Miradois, at a height of 155 metres, from whence one can see the city and the gulf. The responsibilty for carrying out this project was given to the brothers, Stefano and Luigi Gasse. They designed the building in a neoclassical style. It was founded in 1819 by the astronomers, Giuseppe Piazzi and Federico Zuccari, and it was the first building in Europe to hold scientific equipment for astronomical observation. Today the observatory is a museum, and has an important collection of astronomical equipment and apparatus from various epochs on display. It also has a large conference theatre inside. The domes for observing the stars still work perfectly, but the Observatory no longer carries out scientific research (other Italian and foreign institutes have proven to be more efficient), however it remains an important national centre for theoretical and positional astronomy.