Overview

Above the 18th-century Poggi Palace, the seat of the rectory of the Alma Mater Bolognese Studiorum, this tower was built by C. F. Dotti between 1712 and 1725. The Specola Tower, from which you can observe the blue sky, was built because, at the beginning of the 18th Century, the Poggi Palace was transformed into the Science Institute, on the initiative of Count L.F. Marsigli. To reach the specola tower, you go to N°33 via Zamboni, from where you can reach the tower, in which a real Astronomical Museum has been established. At Torre della Specola e Museo Astronomico, you can see instruments from the 18th and 19th Centuries, used by Marsigli himself for astronomical observations: astrolobes, telescopes, sun dials etc. Nest door is the Meridian Room, with a marble and brass meridian, built by E. Lelli in 1741. Admission: Free.