The library

Historical Overview

The new Institute of Physics at the Royal University of Padua, previously located at Bò, was completed in 1937 under Professor Bruno Rossi's supervision. From the beginning, the Institute included a library.

Professor Bruno Rossi despite being removed from teaching due to racial laws, continued his career with the Manhattan Project. He contributed to the Manhattan Project and later founded the cosmic ray study department at MIT.

In 1963, the library was named after Bruno Rossi, an initiative led by Professor Professor Massimilla "Milla" Baldo Ceolin. The Professor was the first woman to hold a physics chair at the University of Padua. She led the Padua section of the INFN from 1965 to 1968 and the Department of Physics "Galileo Galilei" from 1973 to 1978.

The Library of Physics and Astronomy, established in 2012, resulted from the merger of the Physics and Astronomy Departments. The library now operates across multiple locations

• the main library is at Via F. Marzolo 8
• part of the Astronomy section is located at Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, at the Specola, where you can find coursebooks
• other books are available at the INAF Observatory Library, at Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5

Astronomy location

The Specola tower, built by Ezzelino III da Romano in 1242, was originally used for imprisonment and torture, later incorporated into the Carraresi castle

In 1765, the Republic of Venice tasked Abbot Giuseppe Toaldo with establishing an astronomical observatory at the University of Padua. They chose the tower for its excellent southern view, crucial for celestial observations.

The building north of the Specola Tower has housed the University's Institute of Astronomy since 1968, while the tower became a museum in 1994.

The Asiago Astrophysical Observatory

The Asiago Astrophysical Observatory, designed by Daniele Calabi, was inaugurated on May 27, 1942. It featured the "Galileo reflector telescope", the largest in Europe at the time, with a 122 cm diameter mirror by Officine Galileo of Florence.

Part of the library’s collection is held at the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory. The university's digital archiving platform PHAIDRA offers images documenting the Asiago Observatory's design, construction, and telescope installation.