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order is found in a letter addressed to the director of the museum, num-ber 92, in the file of papers relating to the transactions of the I. and It.Museum for the year 1814.) Professor De Vecchi himself refers to thissuppression in the memorial before mentioned, in speaking of themethods of observing with reflecting instruments. Professor I)EVecchi never returned to his office as instructor in the observatory.
In the letter of Prince Easpigklioli to the director of the museum itwas also stated: “ I think it well to inform you that Father Gaetanodel Eicco has been invited to take charge of the preservation of theastronomical instruments,” which, in consequence, were received fromthe professor himself, and held from June, 1814, to May 17,1818, on whichday, having passed from this life, Father Gaetano del Eicco was suc-ceeded by Father Inghirami, professor of astronomy in the XimenianoObservatory.
At this point it is necessary to observe that the observatory of theEoyal Museum was always an entirely distinct institution from that ofSan Giovannino, some time designated degli Scolopi, the latter havingbeen founded by Father Leonardo Ximenes, Jesuit , from whom it de-rived the name of Ximeniano, which it retains and by which it is at thistime especially distinguished.
Father iNGniRAMi held the position until the 7th of October of thesame year, when, by desire of the Count, he had added to his other du-ties those of Director of the Museum.
From 1814 to 1825 we find no document which proves the presenceof an astronomer; it remained wholly inactive for a period of abouteleven years.
In July, 1825, Prof. Luigi Pons, of Marseille , was appointed, and suc-ceeded in 1S37 by Prof. Giovani Battesta Amici, of Modena, whoheld the directorship of the observatory until 1859, when he was re-tired on account of extreme old ago. Although all the duties of theoffice since 1852 had been performed by Prof. G. B. Donati, he did notsucceed to the official title of director until 1864, a year after the deathof Professor Amici.
At that time Donati conceived the idea of erecting a new observa-tory in the vicinity of Florence; the old institution, in a central part ofthe town, no longer meeting the requirements of astronomical study,and not being large enough to hold the large and excellent equatorialconstructed by his predecessor. Aided in this bold enterprise by theinfluence and support of the municipal, provincial, and state authority,and by securing the interest of King Victor Emanuel, ProfessorDonati, in October, 1872, was able to inaugurate the new observatoryon the Calle d’Arcetri, a little removed from the house, where, two hun-dred and thirty years before, Galileo had ended the labors of his life.
To the new institution was transferred all the scientific material be-longing to the Department of Astronomy, and the place occupied by itin the observatory was devoted exclusively to meteorological observa-