The Vatican astronomical observatory, one of the oldest in the world, has been opening its doors to the public for several weeks in Castel Gandolfo, in the popes’ summer residence. A true immersion in the history of astronomy with two telescopes installed in 1935 to get away from the lights of Rome.
To scan the sky, Father Gabriel must climb into the dome where one of the oldest telescopes in the observatory is located. At the Vatican, for five centuries, astronomy has been the domain of the Jesuits.
“Despite the trial against Galileo, the Church has always been favorable to science and it is to demonstrate to the world that it was not against science that the Holy See created speculation,” explains Father Gabriele Gionti, vice-director of the Vatican Specula, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Draw the sky map
Over time, the Vatican Specula became a world reference astronomical center. In 1891, she even participated in the international project to photograph the sky map, with a now restored telescope.
For 12 years, four nuns will carefully calculate the position of 400,000 stars to draw the first map of the sky. But for a century, the observatory has been in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, in the summer residence of the popes. It was in this dome that in 1969 Paul VI witnessed man’s first step on the Moon. “NASA asked him to bless and greet the astronauts from a distance,” explains Father Gabriele Gionti.
An observatory open to the public
Pope Francis decided not to use the popes’ summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, which was therefore transformed into a museum. In recent weeks, it has even been possible to visit the Vatican astronomical center.
Valérie Dupont/hkr
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