At Capodimonte, an exhibition honours Giuseppe Piazzi
Columns Hall 18 June - 18 September 2026
There is an invisible yet luminous thread that links Palermo and Naples, two cities historically different but illuminated by the same sky. Weaving this connection was Giuseppe Piazzi, lthe astronomer whose discovery of Ceres transformed our understanding of the Solar System and brought the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to the forefront of international scientific research.
On the bicentenary of his death (1826–2026), the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory pays tribute to his extraordinary legacy with an exhibition curated by Mauro Gargano in collaboration with the art house Hubert Bowinkel.
The event offers a compelling documentary and iconographic journey through the life and work of a man who was at once a rigorous scholar, an inspiring teacher, a builder of observatories, and a cultural innovator of his time. The exhibition unfolds from the volumes of the Star Catalogue and his Lezioni di astronomia, precious testimonies of a methodological vision that shaped the history of modern astronomy. Ample space is devoted to his years in Palermo, where Piazzi founded the Specola and launched the observational program that led to the historic discovery of Ceres; period tables and texts convey to visitors the emotion and scientific significance of an event that revolutionised the exploration of the cosmos.
From Palermo, the exhibition’s gaze naturally turns to Naples, echoing Piazzi’s own words, convinced that there was "no sky more beautiful than that of Partenope". Through archival documents and the pages of the Ragguaglio del Reale Osservatorio, the monumental effort behind the construction of the Capodimonte Specola is recounted, an undertaking both architectural and institutional, capable of merging scientific ambition with the political vision of the time. Completing this rich historical mosaic are ancient maps and splendid period views of the landscapes of Palermo and Naples, evoking the urban and cultural context in which the astronomer lived and worked, and revealing two capitals united in a continuous dialogue between sky and earth.
L’astronomo delle Due Sicilie" is therefore not merely a celebration of the past, but an homage to a scientist who united two cities under a single sky, leaving us a legacy of knowledge that remains remarkably alive today.
The exhibition is supported by the Comitato nazionale delle celebrazioni per il bicentenario della morte di P. Giuseppe Piazzi
with the auspices of International Astronomical Union, Società Nazionale di Scienze Lettere e Arti in Napoli and Polvere di Stelle
The exhibition poster is available for download here