287
modifications, reductions or transformations without failing to honor our solemn pledges.
(…) All of these (objections, criticisms, investigations) should have been cleared up before
requesting donations from the admirers of Secchi all over the world. (…) But you preferred
to say that you wanted to build a large telescope under the aegis of Pietro Tacchini: consistency demands that we do not fall back on our commitment to subscribers. (…) Therefore,
sursum corda and let’s just think about doing what is worthy (…) because otherwise our
posture towards the subscribers and the scientific world would not be proper.
20
In other words, you asked for donations to build a large telescope and it is time you
did it. Otherwise we besmirch the good name of Tacchini, and all of us are going to
make a very bad impression to the rest of the world!
Moreover, at the same time that the Committee was changing its name from
“provisional” to “permanent,” it also planned to become an independent nonprofit
organization, which would have:
A wide, liberal statute that claims its full autonomy, and removes all those bureaucratic
constraints that mostly increase expenses and merely creates the illusion of managerial
responsibility and government oversight of our administration. (Relazione (1
a
) 1897,
pp. 28–29)
However, due to “all those constraints” (and others), the Committee could only be
officially established as a nonprofit organization 12 years later (Royal Decree No.
296, Oct 17, 1909) after having drawn up its Statute in 1908 (Statuto 1908), with its
capital raised to 123,118.56 lire.
The new Committee was now composed of nine members, who had to appoint a
Commission of three members “to formulate a draft for the building of the
20 F. Porro to U. Levi, Turin Sep 30, 1897 (ASRe-MS).
Table 17.1 For each year, the first two columns indicate the funds available to the Committee; the
last two columns indicate expenditure estimates relative to that year
Year
Committee’s funds
Expenditure forecast
Lire
Euro
(2018)
Lire
Euro (2018)
1879
60,000 + 15,500 (Merz + staff)
250,000 + 65,000
1897
77,500
350,000
1904
53,250 (Steinheil)
235,000
1910
132,000
550,000
1916
165,000 + 127,000 (Bologna telescope
and dome + building)
497,000 + 383,000
1918
147,000
225,000
1920
153,000
175,000
1921
159,000
154,000
1925
185,000
156,000
1970
900,000
8000
The conversion of lira into present-day euro (obviously approximate) has been calculated by using
historical revaluation coefficients from different websites available online, after verifying their
consistency
17 The Unfulfilled “Secchi Monument” at Reggio Emilia
modifications, reductions or transformations without failing to honor our solemn pledges.
(…) All of these (objections, criticisms, investigations) should have been cleared up before
requesting donations from the admirers of Secchi all over the world. (…) But you preferred
to say that you wanted to build a large telescope under the aegis of Pietro Tacchini: consistency demands that we do not fall back on our commitment to subscribers. (…) Therefore,
sursum corda and let’s just think about doing what is worthy (…) because otherwise our
posture towards the subscribers and the scientific world would not be proper.
20
In other words, you asked for donations to build a large telescope and it is time you
did it. Otherwise we besmirch the good name of Tacchini, and all of us are going to
make a very bad impression to the rest of the world!
Moreover, at the same time that the Committee was changing its name from
“provisional” to “permanent,” it also planned to become an independent nonprofit
organization, which would have:
A wide, liberal statute that claims its full autonomy, and removes all those bureaucratic
constraints that mostly increase expenses and merely creates the illusion of managerial
responsibility and government oversight of our administration. (Relazione (1
a
) 1897,
pp. 28–29)
However, due to “all those constraints” (and others), the Committee could only be
officially established as a nonprofit organization 12 years later (Royal Decree No.
296, Oct 17, 1909) after having drawn up its Statute in 1908 (Statuto 1908), with its
capital raised to 123,118.56 lire.
The new Committee was now composed of nine members, who had to appoint a
Commission of three members “to formulate a draft for the building of the
20 F. Porro to U. Levi, Turin Sep 30, 1897 (ASRe-MS).
Table 17.1 For each year, the first two columns indicate the funds available to the Committee; the
last two columns indicate expenditure estimates relative to that year
Year
Committee’s funds
Expenditure forecast
Lire
Euro
(2018)
Lire
Euro (2018)
1879
60,000 + 15,500 (Merz + staff)
250,000 + 65,000
1897
77,500
350,000
1904
53,250 (Steinheil)
235,000
1910
132,000
550,000
1916
165,000 + 127,000 (Bologna telescope
and dome + building)
497,000 + 383,000
1918
147,000
225,000
1920
153,000
175,000
1921
159,000
154,000
1925
185,000
156,000
1970
900,000
8000
The conversion of lira into present-day euro (obviously approximate) has been calculated by using
historical revaluation coefficients from different websites available online, after verifying their
consistency
17 The Unfulfilled “Secchi Monument” at Reggio Emilia