the history of the palazzina di via panisperna

1872

The physicist Pietro Blaserna (1836-1918) was the first professor of experimental physics at the Royal University of Rome. He was also the first director of the Royal Physical Institute.

1874

The Minister of Education appointed a commission to identify a site for the new Physics Institute. They chose Viminale Hill.

1881

 Inauguration of the new Physics Institute of the Royal University of Rome in via Panisperna: the first practical school of physics in Italy is born.

1887

The Palazzina hosts  the Central Office of the International Chorister 

1891

Pietro Blaserna established the Circolo Fisico of Rome, aiming to "promote the diffusion of science through conferences, discussions and reports".

1897

Blaserna founded The Italian Physical Society in via Panisperna. He was the first President

1899

Blaserna established the chair of Complementary Physics, and Alfonso Sella was the first Professor.

1900

Vito Volterra arrived  in Rome as the chair of Mathematical Physics 

1909

Orso Mario Corbino (1876-1937) arrived in Rome as the chair of Complementary Physics

1918

Pietro Blaserna died. Orso Mario Corbino succeeded him as the chair of experimental physics and director of the Istituto Fisico.

Antonino Lo Surdo took the chair of Complementary Physics. In 1922, it would become the Chair of Higher Physics.

1922

Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) and Orso Mario Corbino met for the first time.

1923

Corbino founded the “Ufficio del Radio”, directed by Giulio Cesare Trabacchi (1884-1959)

1926

Fermi took the first Italian chair of Theoretical Physics in Rome

1927-1928

Emilio Segrè (1905-1989), Edoardo Amaldi 1908-1989) and Ettore Majorana (1906-?) changed faculty from engineering to physics. Rasetti arrived in Rome as Corbino's assistant

1929

On March 29th, Mussolini named Fermi a Royal Academy of Italy member. The same year, Fermi and Rasetti, supported by Corbino, shifted their research towards nuclear physics

1930

Rasetti took the first chair of Spectroscopy.

1931

Via Panisperna hosts the 1st International Congress of Nuclear Physics from 11 to 17 October.

1934 Annus Mirabilis

Fermi formulated the theory of beta decay.

In March he obtained the first results of artificial radioactivity produced with neutron bombardment.

Oscar D'Agostino (1901-1975) and Bruno Pontecorvo (1913-1993) joined the group.

On 20 October Fermi had the intuition of inserting a cube of paraffin between the radioactive source and the substance to be irradiated: the increase in the efficiency of artificial radioactivity was discovered due to the slowing down of neutrons.

On October 26, the group patented the process of producing artificial radioactive substances by means of neutron bombardment and the increase in the efficiency of this process due to the slowing down of neutrons.

1935

The group began to fall apart.

1936

Tthe Physics Institute is transferred to the new premises of the University of Rome in piazzale Aldo Moro. In via Panisperna Corbino created the National Institute of Electroacoustics of the CNR.

1937

On January 23, Orso Mario Corbino died

1943

The “Palazzina” lost its scientific function. It will later become the headquarters of the State Police Archive.

1999

The Law n. 62 of 15 March established  the “Enrico Fermi” Historical Museum and Research Center

2019

After a long and complex renovation, the historical building re-established its scientific function.

Via Panisperna 89 A – 00184 Roma

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