Capodimonte Observatory begins operating in Naples
- When
- 1819
- Where
- Capodimonte hill
- Episodes
- 1
The Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte in Naples was completed in the autumn of 1819. Located on Capodimonte hill, it had been founded by approval of King Joachim Murat in 1812. Its first observation was made by astronomer Carlo Brioschi on the night of 17 December 1819, observing the star α Cassiopeiae.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. When Joachim Murat was appointed king of Naples, he approved on 8 March 1812 the foundation of a new Observatory on the Miradois hill, a site not far from the royal palace of Capodimonte. The astronomer Federigo Zuccari and the architect Stefano Gasse conceived a monumental building in the neoclassical style, the first so designed in the capital of the Kingdom of Naples. The observatory was equipped with advanced instruments, including a Fraunhofer equatorial telescope and two repeating circles made by the Reichenbach & Utzschneider Company in Munich.
Start of Operations. The new observatory was completed in the autumn of 1819. The first observation was conducted on the night of 17 December 1819 from the east dome. Astronomer Carlo Brioschi measured the position of the star Alpha Cassiopeiae, marking the beginning of the observatory's operational history.
People involved
- Carlo Brioschi · Astronomer who made the observatory's first observation
- Joachim Murat · King of Naples (appointed), who approved the foundation of the new Observatory in 1812
- Federigo Zuccari · Astronomer who, with architect Stefano Gasse, conceived the neoclassical observatory building
- Stefano Gasse · Architect who, with astronomer Federigo Zuccari, conceived the neoclassical observatory building
Sources
- Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte Wikipedia, revision of 2026-04-15
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