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The Measurement of the Geodetic Baselines Along the Via Appia Antica

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Angelo Secchi and Nineteenth Century Science

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Abstract

Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Via Appia Antica was the site of intense geodetic activity, serving as the baseline for the map of the Papal States and the study about the shape of the Earth. Eventually this work was connected to the determination of the Prime Meridian of Italy, which served as the basis of the new map of Italy after its unification. In recent years, new discoveries have allowed us to reevaluate this historical and scientific heritage.

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Correspondence to Tullio Aebischer .

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Aebischer, T. (2021). The Measurement of the Geodetic Baselines Along the Via Appia Antica. In: Chinnici, I., Consolmagno, G. (eds) Angelo Secchi and Nineteenth Century Science. Historical & Cultural Astronomy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58384-2_12

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