283
himself, had already obtained several donations so that engineer Pio Casoli
(1848–1885) could be commissioned to develop an architectural project and
Giuseppe Ferrari to draft a Manifesto. The Provisional Committee decided to translate this Manifesto into various languages and have it printed and circulated.
12
In an undated note, but just prior to the distribution of the Manifesto, Tacchini
recommended:
(…) to our friend Levi that it be well clarified in the Manifesto that this is not a question of
constructing a new and complete astronomical observatory at Reggio, but solely a monumental stand-alone structure to contain only a glorious equatorial that will be titled the
Secchi Equatorial.
13
To his dying days, Tacchini insisted that the project was not to be regarded as the
establishment of a new institution, but “exclusively” a facility, a large instrument
available to astronomers. This certainly stemmed from his belief that the enterprise
was achievable only with a simple project like he had proposed, without more ambitious operations. The ambiguities that arose about this point, be it in good faith or
bad, were one of the reasons for the failure of the project.
A Proposal, dated May 8, 1881, and also published in the Memorie della Società
degli Spettroscopisti Italiani (Monumento scientifico 1881), presented the project as
“a 70-cm refractor to be built in Reggio for studies in physical astronomy” and initiated the collection of donations with a “minimum value of one lira.” A long list of
promoters and subscribers followed, strictly (and interestingly) subdivided into
“astronomers,” “meteorologists,” “other scientists,” “senators,” and “deputies.”
17.4 The Input of Other Astronomers
But things did not go smoothly as further objections arose, this time even from the
main Italian astronomers of that time such as Lorenzo Respighi (1824–1889), director of the Campidoglio Observatory in Rome; Wilhelm Tempel (1821–1889), director of Arcetri Observatory in Florence; Annibale De Gasparis (1819–1892), director
of Naples Observatory; and Emanuele Fergola (1830–1915), from Naples. In
essence, they questioned the possibility of raising sufficient funds to build a structure of that size.
14
12 Proposta di un Monumento scientifico al P. Angelo Secchi in Reggio dell’Emilia, in Reggio, May
8, 1881 (AABo, Serie Storica Specola, B29.3.1).
13 P. Tacchini to U. Levi (Apr-May 1881) (ASRe-MS; here as elsewhere the underlining in the
quotes are in the originals). It is noted that 213 letters by P. Tacchini to several members of the
Committee, from Jan 29, 1881, to Sep 9, 1896, are in ASRe-MS (Filza 1, Quaderno 3).
14 A Committee member to E. Fergola, and U. Levi to L. Respighi, Reggio Emilia May 18 e 26,
1881 (ASRe-MS); E. Fergola to U. Levi, Naples Jul 3, 1881, and U. Levi to E. Fergola, Reggio
Emilia Jul 6, 1881 (ASRe-MS). Many letters to Tacchini by Italian astronomers to join the subscription are in ASRe-MS, Filza 4. The indication of the objections of astronomers is mentioned in
the Minutes of the Committee of June 2, 1882.
17 The Unfulfilled “Secchi Monument” at Reggio Emilia
himself, had already obtained several donations so that engineer Pio Casoli
(1848–1885) could be commissioned to develop an architectural project and
Giuseppe Ferrari to draft a Manifesto. The Provisional Committee decided to translate this Manifesto into various languages and have it printed and circulated.
12
In an undated note, but just prior to the distribution of the Manifesto, Tacchini
recommended:
(…) to our friend Levi that it be well clarified in the Manifesto that this is not a question of
constructing a new and complete astronomical observatory at Reggio, but solely a monumental stand-alone structure to contain only a glorious equatorial that will be titled the
Secchi Equatorial.
13
To his dying days, Tacchini insisted that the project was not to be regarded as the
establishment of a new institution, but “exclusively” a facility, a large instrument
available to astronomers. This certainly stemmed from his belief that the enterprise
was achievable only with a simple project like he had proposed, without more ambitious operations. The ambiguities that arose about this point, be it in good faith or
bad, were one of the reasons for the failure of the project.
A Proposal, dated May 8, 1881, and also published in the Memorie della Società
degli Spettroscopisti Italiani (Monumento scientifico 1881), presented the project as
“a 70-cm refractor to be built in Reggio for studies in physical astronomy” and initiated the collection of donations with a “minimum value of one lira.” A long list of
promoters and subscribers followed, strictly (and interestingly) subdivided into
“astronomers,” “meteorologists,” “other scientists,” “senators,” and “deputies.”
17.4 The Input of Other Astronomers
But things did not go smoothly as further objections arose, this time even from the
main Italian astronomers of that time such as Lorenzo Respighi (1824–1889), director of the Campidoglio Observatory in Rome; Wilhelm Tempel (1821–1889), director of Arcetri Observatory in Florence; Annibale De Gasparis (1819–1892), director
of Naples Observatory; and Emanuele Fergola (1830–1915), from Naples. In
essence, they questioned the possibility of raising sufficient funds to build a structure of that size.
14
12 Proposta di un Monumento scientifico al P. Angelo Secchi in Reggio dell’Emilia, in Reggio, May
8, 1881 (AABo, Serie Storica Specola, B29.3.1).
13 P. Tacchini to U. Levi (Apr-May 1881) (ASRe-MS; here as elsewhere the underlining in the
quotes are in the originals). It is noted that 213 letters by P. Tacchini to several members of the
Committee, from Jan 29, 1881, to Sep 9, 1896, are in ASRe-MS (Filza 1, Quaderno 3).
14 A Committee member to E. Fergola, and U. Levi to L. Respighi, Reggio Emilia May 18 e 26,
1881 (ASRe-MS); E. Fergola to U. Levi, Naples Jul 3, 1881, and U. Levi to E. Fergola, Reggio
Emilia Jul 6, 1881 (ASRe-MS). Many letters to Tacchini by Italian astronomers to join the subscription are in ASRe-MS, Filza 4. The indication of the objections of astronomers is mentioned in
the Minutes of the Committee of June 2, 1882.
17 The Unfulfilled “Secchi Monument” at Reggio Emilia