Museo della Specola
Museum of scientific instruments in the 18th-century astronomical tower of Palazzo Poggi, with a route over four floors and a panoramic terrace.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo della Specola occupies the astronomical tower of Palazzo Poggi, built between 1712 and 1726 at the initiative of Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili and inaugurated in 1727. The Specola remained the only observatory of the University of Bologna until 1936.
From the 1990s the tower was transformed into a museum. The route covers four floors and preserves scientific instruments that document the observation of the sky and the earth from the 13th to the 20th century.
Among the most significant objects is the first segmented mirror in history, designed and built in the tower by the director Guido Horn d’Arturo. The visit ends on the panoramic terrace, from which the city of Bologna can be seen.
Highlights
- 18th-century astronomical tower
- Historical scientific instruments from the 13th to the 20th century
- First segmented mirror, by Guido Horn d’Arturo
- Panoramic terrace over the city
Permanent exhibition
- Strumenti scientifici della Torre della Specola – Route over four floors with historical instruments for observing the sky and the earth, from the 13th to the 20th century.
- Operated by
- Università di Bologna – Sistema Museale di Ateneo
- Visitors per year
- approx. 3,430
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Young people aged 20 to 26, over-65s, groups of 10 to 15 people, holders of the Palazzo Poggi ticket, FAI cards and Almae Matris Alumni cards. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Free admission for under-19s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companions. |
Free admission also for students and staff of the University of Bologna, teachers with a card, journalists, tourist guides, ICOM and ANMS card holders and Card Cultura holders. A ticket bought at the ticket office entitles you to free entry to the MEUS (European Museum of Students) and reduced entry to the Museo di Palazzo Poggi.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The tower is not accessible to people with reduced or impaired mobility: the staircase has 272 steps. Entry is not advised for people with heart conditions, vertigo or claustrophobia. In rain or snow the panoramic terrace is closed and the route ends on the seventh floor.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
- Stroller-friendly: not available
- Baby changing facilities
Baby Pit Stop area for breastfeeding and changing babies. The 272-step staircase makes the visit unsuitable for pushchairs.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Toilets and a bookshop are available.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Booking is strongly recommended (online purchase via Ticketlandia). You must report to the ticket office at least 10 minutes before the chosen time; in case of delay, access is not guaranteed. |
|---|
