PER UN ARCHIVIO DELLA CORRISPONDENZA DEGLI SCIENZIATI ITALIANI

Abstract<title> SUMMARY </title>Geminiano Rondelli (1652-1739), an important hydraulic engineer, was for many years professor of mathematics at University of Bologna. He held an important position at a time of crisis at the University of Bologna. The nine letters written by Rondelli to Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, here published, go back to the years 1701-1702, in which Marsili was considering the possibility of building an astronomical observatory and founding a research institute. This was to become the Istituto delle Scienze, of which Rondelli was the first librarian. Marsili, for the realization of this projects, looked for valuable collaborators and Rondelli suggested the name of two promising young mathematicians, Vittorio Stancari and Gabriele Manfredi, brother of the well-known Eustachio Manfredi.