49
On behalf of the Minister, I renew my confirmation that you will not have to take any oath
and that you will be treated as the other astronomy professors and directors of top ranked
observatories on the Italian territory… Please write to me, directly and in all confidence,
everything that seems useful to you for your studies, in order to unify as soon as possible
the Jesuits’ expectations and those of the government. We are much more favorable and
conciliatory than you might think.
As we can notice, the tone of the letter is heartfelt: Cantoni wants to do everything
to gain Secchi’s affirmative answer.
Fig. 3.1 Courtyard of the Palazzo della Sapienza, where the University of Rome was located until
1935. (From: Wikipedia)
3 Between Science and Religion: Angelo Secchi and his Time
On behalf of the Minister, I renew my confirmation that you will not have to take any oath
and that you will be treated as the other astronomy professors and directors of top ranked
observatories on the Italian territory… Please write to me, directly and in all confidence,
everything that seems useful to you for your studies, in order to unify as soon as possible
the Jesuits’ expectations and those of the government. We are much more favorable and
conciliatory than you might think.
As we can notice, the tone of the letter is heartfelt: Cantoni wants to do everything
to gain Secchi’s affirmative answer.
Fig. 3.1 Courtyard of the Palazzo della Sapienza, where the University of Rome was located until
1935. (From: Wikipedia)
3 Between Science and Religion: Angelo Secchi and his Time