The Specola Tower - observatory.

Took some photos for you!!!

The specola tower, which in more recent times was used as an observatory.

The Astronomical Observatory of Padova , Italy.

**From Medieval Castle to astronomical observatory!**

A thousand years of history at the specola.

A lookout tower in the 10th-century; a castle and also a horrid prison

used by the tyrant Ezzelino da Romano from 1242 to 1256;

defensive castle of the Carraresi princes of Padova

from 1375 to 1405; ammunition depot of the Republic of Venice

until 1767, when the observatory was built.

The name "Specola" derives from the Latin specula word,

meaning observatory.

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Objectives:

1. To study the history of the meteorological observations performed in Padova in the context of the scientific knowledge of the past three centuries.

2. To copy from the original registers, determine all the errors, correct, validate, seek for the lost data and analyse the long meteorological series of Padova (1725-today) which is still unexploited.
3. To analyse the accuracy of the instrumental measurements and evaluate the typical systematic errors.
4. To evidence the apparent climate changes due to changes in measuring methodologies originated by the adoption of new conventions / standards / international recommendations.

La specola,

costruita da Ezzelino III da Romano,

nel 1242, come torre di difesa, fu adibita a osservatorio astronomico nel 1767.

Oggi, insieme al castello, è sede della facoltà di Astronomia dell'Università di Padova,

ed stata adibita a museo.

In essa sono conservati gli antichi strumenti utilizzati,

nel 1700 e nel 1800, per le osservazioni astronomiche.