Museo della Specola, University astronomy museum in Palazzo Poggi, Bologna, Italy
The Museo della Specola in Bologna is a university astronomy museum displaying armillary spheres, wooden telescopes, clocks, and navigational instruments across multiple rooms. The collections show the range of tools used for observing the sky and calculating positions at sea throughout history.
The Astronomical Tower was built between 1712 and 1726 as the University of Bologna's main observatory for scientific research. Over time, the collections grew through donations from wealthy collectors who added their private instruments to the institution.
The museum houses instruments once kept in private observatories, reflecting how wealthy clergy supported astronomical observation in the 1700s. Visitors can see the scientific interests that shaped educated circles of the period.
Visitors must book guided tours in advance from Tuesday to Sunday, with time slots available in the morning, midday, and afternoon. It is wise to reserve early, especially on weekends or during peak tourist seasons.
In 1790, Giovanni Battista Guglielmini conducted experiments from the tower by dropping lead spheres to demonstrate Earth's rotation. These tests were among the earliest proofs of a motion that many scholars questioned at the time.
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