The Astronomical Observatory in the Royal Palace of Palermo was founded by Ferdinand I of Bourbon (Ferdinand III of Sicily) in 1790 and entrusted to the astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi. The Observatory was notable for being equipped with state-of-the-art instruments such as the Ramsden Circle, made by Jesse Ramsden, and a dome. In 1801 the asteroid Ceres Ferdinandea was discovered and identified. Today, the “Giuseppe S. Vaiana” Astronomical Observatory in the Palazzo dei Normanni is one of the facilities belonging to the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF).
