286
refractor), as well as by “Mr. Breda of the Società di Costruzioni Veneta” who proposed to build the instrument mount and present it at the 1884 “Esposizione generale
italiana” in Turin.
18
However, as stated in the Minutes of April 19, 1884, the
Committee “did not accept the tender” because the funds collected were not yet
sufficient.
The path forward was fraught with obstacles and only Ulderico Levi’s perseverance was able to carry out the fundraising, whose procedure was extremely complex. The results of the collection were also amply publicized through the press,
highlighting major donors such as the Pope and the King, the Duke of Aosta, the
Foreign Minister, the Bishop of Reggio, and, most of all, Levi himself, who donated
3000 lire, as well as many organizations of all sorts. Theatrical performances and
artistic exhibitions were organized whose proceeds were donated to the Committee,
as well as the royalties that Tacchini himself obtained from the sale of his book
Eclissi totali di Sole del dicembre 1870, del maggio 1882 e 1883, e dell’agosto 1886
e 1887 (Roma, Tipografia Eredi Botta, 1888). Everything was rigorously listed in
the “Notes and Documents” Appendix to the 1897 Report, compiled by the accountant Leopoldo Bertolini. Revenue and expenditure of the Committee in the 16 years
since it had been set up, and the annuities derived from judicious investments,
together with the inventory of “documents kept in a separate archive, arranged with
complete care and perfect order” were also enclosed in the Report.
19
17.5 The Permanent Committee
In the meeting of June 3, 1897 – almost 20 years after the first proposal – the
“Provisional Committee” decided to become “Permanent,” under the title of
“Committee for the Scientific Monument to Fr Angelo Secchi at Reggio Emilia,”
and Ulderico Levi was confirmed as its president.
Although donations fell off very much after 1890 – this was certainly due at least
in part to the lack of any result with respect to the announced purposes – its capital
had almost doubled, thanks to careful financial management, and the Permanent
Committee inherited 77,493.28 lire (today corresponding to about 350,000 euro, a
significant amount for those times; see Table 17.1).
From 1895 on, new interruptions gave rise to frustrations within (and beyond) the
astronomical community, who had been anxiously waiting for the laying of the
foundation stone for some time. A letter sent to Levi in September 1897 by Francesco
Porro de’ Somenzi (1861–1937), director of the Astronomical Observatory of the
University of Turin, clearly shows the problems:
This reflects a bit on the reputation of our Country among foreigners. It is a project scientifically formulated under the aegis of the name of Pietro Tacchini and which cannot undergo
18 Minutes of the Committee of Apr 19, 1884 (ASRe-MS).
19 The documents are now kept in the “Monumento Secchi” folders in ASRe-MS.
F. Bònoli and A. Mandrino
refractor), as well as by “Mr. Breda of the Società di Costruzioni Veneta” who proposed to build the instrument mount and present it at the 1884 “Esposizione generale
italiana” in Turin.
18
However, as stated in the Minutes of April 19, 1884, the
Committee “did not accept the tender” because the funds collected were not yet
sufficient.
The path forward was fraught with obstacles and only Ulderico Levi’s perseverance was able to carry out the fundraising, whose procedure was extremely complex. The results of the collection were also amply publicized through the press,
highlighting major donors such as the Pope and the King, the Duke of Aosta, the
Foreign Minister, the Bishop of Reggio, and, most of all, Levi himself, who donated
3000 lire, as well as many organizations of all sorts. Theatrical performances and
artistic exhibitions were organized whose proceeds were donated to the Committee,
as well as the royalties that Tacchini himself obtained from the sale of his book
Eclissi totali di Sole del dicembre 1870, del maggio 1882 e 1883, e dell’agosto 1886
e 1887 (Roma, Tipografia Eredi Botta, 1888). Everything was rigorously listed in
the “Notes and Documents” Appendix to the 1897 Report, compiled by the accountant Leopoldo Bertolini. Revenue and expenditure of the Committee in the 16 years
since it had been set up, and the annuities derived from judicious investments,
together with the inventory of “documents kept in a separate archive, arranged with
complete care and perfect order” were also enclosed in the Report.
19
17.5 The Permanent Committee
In the meeting of June 3, 1897 – almost 20 years after the first proposal – the
“Provisional Committee” decided to become “Permanent,” under the title of
“Committee for the Scientific Monument to Fr Angelo Secchi at Reggio Emilia,”
and Ulderico Levi was confirmed as its president.
Although donations fell off very much after 1890 – this was certainly due at least
in part to the lack of any result with respect to the announced purposes – its capital
had almost doubled, thanks to careful financial management, and the Permanent
Committee inherited 77,493.28 lire (today corresponding to about 350,000 euro, a
significant amount for those times; see Table 17.1).
From 1895 on, new interruptions gave rise to frustrations within (and beyond) the
astronomical community, who had been anxiously waiting for the laying of the
foundation stone for some time. A letter sent to Levi in September 1897 by Francesco
Porro de’ Somenzi (1861–1937), director of the Astronomical Observatory of the
University of Turin, clearly shows the problems:
This reflects a bit on the reputation of our Country among foreigners. It is a project scientifically formulated under the aegis of the name of Pietro Tacchini and which cannot undergo
18 Minutes of the Committee of Apr 19, 1884 (ASRe-MS).
19 The documents are now kept in the “Monumento Secchi” folders in ASRe-MS.
F. Bònoli and A. Mandrino