This volume records the history of the Vatican Observatory (Specola Vaticana). It was originally published in 1991 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Observatory by Pope Leo XIII. This revised edition brings together many facts hidden in archival material, correspondence, previous publications on the Observatory's history, as well as fresh material derived from interviews. Also included is research on the difficult period in the Observatory's history as it moved from an institute struggling to establish research programmes to a true astronomical observatory.

Translated by: George V. Coyne