The Museo della Specola is housed within the Torre della Specola, constructed between 1712 and 1726 as Bologna’s first astronomical observatory.
In the mid-20th century, the ancient tower was transformed into a functional telescope by Guido Horn d’Arturo, director of the observatory. Using its height, he tested the first model of a segmented mirror, an innovative technology that would later form the foundation for building the largest and most modern telescopes.
The objects preserved within the museum do not merely tell a story; they also open a window to the future of knowledge.
Thanks to the initiative these treasures can be preserved and restored to their original splendour:
The Depictions of Celestial Phenomena drawn in the 1600s by the artist and astronomer Maria Clara Eimmart, a beloved series of illustrated plates that masterfully combine art and astronomy.Three scientifically significant instruments dating from the 17th to the 19th century: the Gregorian telescope by Peter Dollond, the refracting telescope by George Adams, and the multiplying circle by Reichenbach, Utzschneider, and Liebherr.A collection of globes dating from the 16th to the 18th century, including some of the most prestigious productions of the era by Dutch cartographers Blaeu and Valk, London’s Senex, and Italians Coronelli and Cassini.
The Specola Museum is part of the University of Bologna's Museum Network (SMA)