213
Obviously, Secchi’s operational technique is no longer in use anymore, but all
the measurements and points identified on the ground, some of which are still used
today, can be a motivation for the enhancement of the Regional Park of Via Appia
Antica. In addition to being an archaeological site, one can very well add that it is
also of geodetic significance (Aebischer 2014a, b).
A problem that still remains is the present-day location of the wooden apparatus
(tesa) and its metal. One hypothesis is that at least the wooden part was preserved in
the rooms of the Magnetic Department of the Osservatorio del Collegio Romano
(Secchi 1855), but that seems unlikely. On another occasion, Secchi mentioned that
the Observatory kept geodetic instruments and in particular Porro’s great apparatus
for the measurement of the Boscovich baseline on the Via Appia Antica, which was
later taken over by the Italian government for the University’s geodetic school.
To coordinate this reevaluation and use of the geodetic heritage of the Via Appia
Antica and more generally that of Rome, since many years the Author has promoted
the Geodetic Itinerary For Rome project, which includes a segment called A Century
of Geodesy Along the Appia Antica. This includes educational proposals, exhibitions, seminars, publications, and guided tours. The basic idea is to propose a new
type of monument, a geodetic one, with all its particular characteristics of description, site locations, and conservation.
References
Aebischer, T. (2011). Le basi geodetiche storiche della Carta Topografica d’Italia (1875) come
monumenti geodetico-cartografici. In Atti del convegno nazionale (Modena, May 2011).
Supplemento CD al Bollettino AIC, 143, pp. 195–208.
Aebischer, T. (Ed.). (2013). La scoperta del caposaldo B della base geodetica di A. Secchi lungo
la via Appia Antica. Città di Castello (PG).
Aebischer, T. (2014a). La via Appia Antica parco geodetico. Fonti letterarie e online sulle basi
geodetiche di Boscovich e Secchi misurate per la cartografia dello Stato Pontificio e lo studio
della forma della Terra (XVII-XXI secc.), Città di Castello (PG).
Aebischer, T. (2014b, September). G.B. Beccaria e lo studio della forma e dimensione della Terra:
il GradusTaurinensis. Giornale di Astronomia, 40(3), 18–23.
Aebischer, T. (2016, March). 150° anniversario dell’istituzione della Commissione Geodetica
Italiana (1865–1977). Giornale di Astronomia, 42(1), 25–33.
Aebischer, T., Rossetti, C., Filippi, G., & Iannuzzi, E. (2012). La Base geodetica di Secchi sulla via
Appia Antica (XIX sec.): il caposaldo B. Fasti On Line Documents&Research Italy, no. 254.
Boccaletti, D. (2019). The shape and size of the earth. A historical journey from Homer to artificial
satellites. Cham: Springer.
Calandrelli, I. (1855?-1858?). Notizie storiche sulla base romana misurata da Boscovich lungo la
via Appia. Supplemento no. 136.
Canina, L. (1853). La prima parte della via Appia dalla porta Capena a Boville. Roma, I,
pp. 260–264.
Chinnici, I. (2019). Decoding the stars. A biography of Angelo Secchi, Jesuit and scientist.
Leiden: Brill.
Coraboeuf, J. B. (1853, June). Notice sur les operations geodesiques que les ingenieurs- geographes
français executerent a Rome an 1809 et 1810. Bulletin de la Societé de Geographie, V (30),
353–374. V, July, 5–26.
12 The Measurement of the Geodetic Baselines Along the Via Appia Antica
Obviously, Secchi’s operational technique is no longer in use anymore, but all
the measurements and points identified on the ground, some of which are still used
today, can be a motivation for the enhancement of the Regional Park of Via Appia
Antica. In addition to being an archaeological site, one can very well add that it is
also of geodetic significance (Aebischer 2014a, b).
A problem that still remains is the present-day location of the wooden apparatus
(tesa) and its metal. One hypothesis is that at least the wooden part was preserved in
the rooms of the Magnetic Department of the Osservatorio del Collegio Romano
(Secchi 1855), but that seems unlikely. On another occasion, Secchi mentioned that
the Observatory kept geodetic instruments and in particular Porro’s great apparatus
for the measurement of the Boscovich baseline on the Via Appia Antica, which was
later taken over by the Italian government for the University’s geodetic school.
To coordinate this reevaluation and use of the geodetic heritage of the Via Appia
Antica and more generally that of Rome, since many years the Author has promoted
the Geodetic Itinerary For Rome project, which includes a segment called A Century
of Geodesy Along the Appia Antica. This includes educational proposals, exhibitions, seminars, publications, and guided tours. The basic idea is to propose a new
type of monument, a geodetic one, with all its particular characteristics of description, site locations, and conservation.
References
Aebischer, T. (2011). Le basi geodetiche storiche della Carta Topografica d’Italia (1875) come
monumenti geodetico-cartografici. In Atti del convegno nazionale (Modena, May 2011).
Supplemento CD al Bollettino AIC, 143, pp. 195–208.
Aebischer, T. (Ed.). (2013). La scoperta del caposaldo B della base geodetica di A. Secchi lungo
la via Appia Antica. Città di Castello (PG).
Aebischer, T. (2014a). La via Appia Antica parco geodetico. Fonti letterarie e online sulle basi
geodetiche di Boscovich e Secchi misurate per la cartografia dello Stato Pontificio e lo studio
della forma della Terra (XVII-XXI secc.), Città di Castello (PG).
Aebischer, T. (2014b, September). G.B. Beccaria e lo studio della forma e dimensione della Terra:
il GradusTaurinensis. Giornale di Astronomia, 40(3), 18–23.
Aebischer, T. (2016, March). 150° anniversario dell’istituzione della Commissione Geodetica
Italiana (1865–1977). Giornale di Astronomia, 42(1), 25–33.
Aebischer, T., Rossetti, C., Filippi, G., & Iannuzzi, E. (2012). La Base geodetica di Secchi sulla via
Appia Antica (XIX sec.): il caposaldo B. Fasti On Line Documents&Research Italy, no. 254.
Boccaletti, D. (2019). The shape and size of the earth. A historical journey from Homer to artificial
satellites. Cham: Springer.
Calandrelli, I. (1855?-1858?). Notizie storiche sulla base romana misurata da Boscovich lungo la
via Appia. Supplemento no. 136.
Canina, L. (1853). La prima parte della via Appia dalla porta Capena a Boville. Roma, I,
pp. 260–264.
Chinnici, I. (2019). Decoding the stars. A biography of Angelo Secchi, Jesuit and scientist.
Leiden: Brill.
Coraboeuf, J. B. (1853, June). Notice sur les operations geodesiques que les ingenieurs- geographes
français executerent a Rome an 1809 et 1810. Bulletin de la Societé de Geographie, V (30),
353–374. V, July, 5–26.
12 The Measurement of the Geodetic Baselines Along the Via Appia Antica