48
You occupy a too eminent place in the scientific world, and science occupies too important
a place in the civil world, not to deal with what is happening. Brioschi [who delivered the
letter brevi manu] will be able to explain to you verbally, better than in writing, the intentions of the government. These intentions, with the exception of the question of the temporal power of the papacy, are very favorable to the clergy.
It is remarkable that Angelo Secchi was at the top of the list of Roman intellectuals
whom the Kingdom of Italy immediately wanted to contact. This demonstrated the
fame that the scientist, at the age of 52, enjoyed at a national level.
In a written reply, Secchi did not mention directly the university teaching that
had been proposed to him but instead expressed concern about the dissolution of the
teaching staff of the Roman College and about the future of the school run by the
Jesuits. In fact, from September 20, some Piedmont military troops had settled in
Roman College, reducing the number of rooms available to the religious community. In addition, as he noted in his diary, Secchi wanted to make it clear to the new
governors that he had the right to remain in the rooms of the Observatory; the
astronomer considered these rooms his own home, having spent much of his personal patrimony for the construction of the new Observatory location and in the
purchasing of the new instruments (Castellani 1944: 42–43).
We know that, thanks to the help of many Italian astronomers who were good
friends of Secchi, particularly Pietro Tacchini (1838–1905) from Palermo, a provisional solution was later reached: in 1873, when the buildings of the Roman College
were definitively expropriated by the Italian Government, Secchi was able to maintain his quarters at the Observatory and obtained independent access for himself and
his collaborators through a separate entrance.
The governmental reorganization of the Italian Astronomical Observatories
enacted by the Bonghi decree in 1876 granted a special status to the Observatory of
the Roman College. However, until his death Secchi had to face the major problem
of financing his astronomical research. In fact, the Holy See was no longer willing
to invest in a scientific institution for fear of losing it at any time, as had already
occurred for many other institutes and buildings in Rome, while the Italian government did not support the Observatory because it was not a part of its scientific or
academic system.
Returning to the events of 1870, during the month of October, the Italian government asked Secchi several times to accept the university teaching position at “La
Sapienza,” (Fig. 3.1) with a chair that would be associated with the directorship of
the Roman College Observatory.
The Jesuit astronomer replied by asking for some guarantees. First, he did not
intend to make an oath of fidelity to the new Kingdom of Italy, because he feared
that it would have had consequences for his condition as a religious faithful to the
Pope and, in addition, he did not approve of many of the aspects of the new government’s activities in Rome. Second, he asked to be free to follow his duties toward
the Society of Jesus and the Pope. Third, he asked to be free to choose his collaborators for the scientific studies carried out at the Observatory. Cantoni reassured
Secchi by writing to him on October 18 (Castellani 1944: 43):
G. Tanzella-Nitti
You occupy a too eminent place in the scientific world, and science occupies too important
a place in the civil world, not to deal with what is happening. Brioschi [who delivered the
letter brevi manu] will be able to explain to you verbally, better than in writing, the intentions of the government. These intentions, with the exception of the question of the temporal power of the papacy, are very favorable to the clergy.
It is remarkable that Angelo Secchi was at the top of the list of Roman intellectuals
whom the Kingdom of Italy immediately wanted to contact. This demonstrated the
fame that the scientist, at the age of 52, enjoyed at a national level.
In a written reply, Secchi did not mention directly the university teaching that
had been proposed to him but instead expressed concern about the dissolution of the
teaching staff of the Roman College and about the future of the school run by the
Jesuits. In fact, from September 20, some Piedmont military troops had settled in
Roman College, reducing the number of rooms available to the religious community. In addition, as he noted in his diary, Secchi wanted to make it clear to the new
governors that he had the right to remain in the rooms of the Observatory; the
astronomer considered these rooms his own home, having spent much of his personal patrimony for the construction of the new Observatory location and in the
purchasing of the new instruments (Castellani 1944: 42–43).
We know that, thanks to the help of many Italian astronomers who were good
friends of Secchi, particularly Pietro Tacchini (1838–1905) from Palermo, a provisional solution was later reached: in 1873, when the buildings of the Roman College
were definitively expropriated by the Italian Government, Secchi was able to maintain his quarters at the Observatory and obtained independent access for himself and
his collaborators through a separate entrance.
The governmental reorganization of the Italian Astronomical Observatories
enacted by the Bonghi decree in 1876 granted a special status to the Observatory of
the Roman College. However, until his death Secchi had to face the major problem
of financing his astronomical research. In fact, the Holy See was no longer willing
to invest in a scientific institution for fear of losing it at any time, as had already
occurred for many other institutes and buildings in Rome, while the Italian government did not support the Observatory because it was not a part of its scientific or
academic system.
Returning to the events of 1870, during the month of October, the Italian government asked Secchi several times to accept the university teaching position at “La
Sapienza,” (Fig. 3.1) with a chair that would be associated with the directorship of
the Roman College Observatory.
The Jesuit astronomer replied by asking for some guarantees. First, he did not
intend to make an oath of fidelity to the new Kingdom of Italy, because he feared
that it would have had consequences for his condition as a religious faithful to the
Pope and, in addition, he did not approve of many of the aspects of the new government’s activities in Rome. Second, he asked to be free to follow his duties toward
the Society of Jesus and the Pope. Third, he asked to be free to choose his collaborators for the scientific studies carried out at the Observatory. Cantoni reassured
Secchi by writing to him on October 18 (Castellani 1944: 43):
G. Tanzella-Nitti