Astronomy in Rome After Secchi and His Legacy at the Astronomical Observatory of Rome

The year 2018 marked both the bicentenary of Angelo Secchi’s birth and 80 years since foundation of the Astronomical Observatory of Rome (OAR). The Astronomical Observatory of Rome was founded in 1938 and combined the legacy of the two previously existent astronomical observatories operating in Rome, the Observatory of the Collegio Romano and the Observatory of Campidoglio, which were previously merged by law in a single institute on December 31, 1923. The Astronomical Observatory of Rome has been a part of the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) since 1999. Astronomers at the OAR continue the tradition of excellence in astronomical research in Rome carried out over the centuries since the Renaissance and now projected into the twenty-first century.