Museo dell'Osservatorio Vesuviano
Ercolano
Hidden gemMuseums
The story
The oldest volcanological observatory in the world, willed by the Bourbons in 1841, with historic instruments and mineral collections, looking out over the slopes of Vesuvius.
Access
check ahead
The story
The Vesuvius Observatory, on the slopes of Vesuvius, is the oldest volcanological observatory in the world: Ferdinand II of Bourbon founded it in 1841, inaugurating it in 1845. Here Luigi Palmieri invented the first electromagnetic seismograph. Today the historic building houses a museum, while the monitoring is run by the INGV.
What to see
The elegant neoclassical building facing the gulf and the museum, with historic scientific instruments, minerals and finds that tell of two centuries of study of the volcano. A place where science and landscape meet, on the road that climbs to Vesuvius.
Tips
The museum of the historic building has its own openings and hours, sometimes tied to booking: check on the official channels of the INGV-Vesuvius Observatory before going. You are on the slopes of Vesuvius, along the road that leads towards the Great Cone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vesuvius Observatory?
The oldest volcanological observatory in the world, founded by Ferdinand II of Bourbon in 1841 on the slopes of Vesuvius; today the historic building is a museum and the monitoring belongs to the INGV.
What can you see at the museum of the Vesuvius Observatory?
Historic scientific instruments, minerals and finds on the history of the volcano, in the nineteenth-century neoclassical building facing the gulf.
Where is the Vesuvius Observatory?
On the slopes of Vesuvius, along the road that climbs towards the crater.
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