The Specola Di Lucca is a Neoclassic-style former

astronomical observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Th ...

built during the early 19th century near the Royal Villa at Marlia, near

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, Italy. The architect

Lorenzo Nottolini Lorenzo Nottolini (May 6, 1787 – September 12, 1851) was an architect and engineer of the Neoclassic style in Lucca, Italy. Biography He was born at Capannori, but lived and mainly worked in Lucca. He is famous for the Nottolini aqueduct and ...

was commissioned in 1819 to build the structure by Duchess

Maria Luisa di Borbone Maria Luisa of Spain (, 6 July 178213 March 1824) was a Spanish infanta, daughter of Charles IV of Spain, King Charles IV and his wife, Maria Luisa of Parma. In 1795, she married her first cousin Louis, King of Etruria, Louis of Bourbon-Parma, h ...

. It is stated the contemporary Hungarian astronomer, Baron

Franz Xaver von Zach Baron Franz Xaver von Zach (''Franz Xaver Freiherr von Zach''; 4 June 1754 – 2 September 1832) was an Austrian astronomer born at Pest, Hungary (now Budapest in Hungary). Biography Zach studied physics at the Royal University of Pest, and ...

found the location, with views of the countryside, an enchanting place. The prominent French astronomer, Jean-Louis Pons, was recruited to be the director. In 1824, with the passing of the Duchess, the project ceased, and Pons moved in 1825 to teach astronomy at

La Specola The Museum of Zoology and Natural History, best known as La Specola, is an eclectic natural history museum in Florence, central Italy, located next to the Pitti Palace. The name '' Specola'' means observatory, a reference to the astronomical obse ...

in Florence. The projected cylindrical observation tower for the Specola di Lucca was never built. The building became a cafe, and after years of abandonment, a private residence after 1980s. It is undergoing refurbishment.Official site
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References

Astronomical observatories in Italy Neoclassical architecture in Tuscany {{observatory-stub

See also

References