Tower of the Winds This tower was built between 1578 and 1580 to demonstrate the astronomical motivation for the reform of the calendar, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII. This building, also known as the Gregorian Tower or Gregorian Observatory, includes the Sala...
Fr. Angelo Secchi, S.J. Fr. Angelo Secchi SJ, director of the Roman College Observatory from 1850 until his death in 1879, produced profound advances in science in half a dozen widely divergent fields: meteorology, time keeping, surveying and geodesy, planetary...
Fr. Francesco Denza Barnabite Fr. Francesco Denza (1834-1894) served as the first Director of the modern Vatican Observatory, from its re-founding in 1891 under Pope Leo XIII until Fr. Denza’s death in 1894. Under his leadership the Carte du Ciel telescope was...
Fr. Johann Hagen S.J. Fr. John Hagen S.J. (1847-1930) was called to Rome by Pope Pius X in 1906 to be the first Jesuit Director of the Vatican Observatory. He served as Director until his death in 1930. The crater Hagen, 55 km in diameter and located on the far side...
Fr. Giuseppe Lais Oratorian priest Fr. Giuseppe Lais (1845-1921) served as the first Vice Director of the re-founded Vatican Observatory. Fr. Lais captured much of the photography for the Vatican Observatory’s contribution to the international project of the Carte du...
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