The Bourbons' interest in the development of science and technology in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was intertwined with the broad and varied scientific and experimental activity that gradually emerged and developed in the region, often at the initiative of government authorities. Below, we propose a journey that focuses on the historical reconstruction of the birth and development of meteorology and seismology in southern Italy, from the early 18th century to 1860. The starting point is the collection of meteorological data carried out by the Neapolitan physician and naturalist Niccolò Cirillo (1671-1735) on behalf of the Royal Society of London, of which he was a regular correspondent from 1723 until his death in 1735. Cirillo joined the international meteorological network promoted by the secretary of the Royal Society, James Jurin (1684-1750), and regularly recorded his observations, which were often published in the Society's Philosophical Transactions. Particularly noteworthy are his accounts of the eruption of Vesuvius, of a Strombolian effusive type, in March 1730, and of the destructive earthquake that struck the province of Foggia in March 1731. The manuscript prepared for the latter event contains a description of the first prototype pendulum seismoscope, which is a precursor to modern seismographs. The catastrophic earthquake sequence that struck Calabria region and northeastern Sicily in 1783 significantly boosted the development of both seismology and related instruments. In this context, particularly significant was the initiative of the Reale Accademia delle Scienze e Belle Lettere to establish a seismological commission, chaired by Michele Sarconi, and charged by the Bourbon government with conducting systematic investigations into the effects of the earthquake and assessing the damage caused. This experience is documented in a detailed report, drafted by Sarconi himself, and accompanied by an iconographic atlas prepared by architects Pompeo Schiantarelli and Ignazio Stile. During the 1783 Calabrian earthquake, the physician and naturalist Nicola Zupo (1752-1806) designed a vertical pendulum seismoscope, representing an early evolution of Cirillo's seismoscope. It was intended to reveal – at least in the intentions of its creator – the electrical effects that would validate the theory that electricism was at the origin of earthquakes. The final section of the journey presents the interesting scientific activity (primarily dedicated to geodetic operations and meteorological observations) conducted within the Physics Cabinet established at the Royal Palace in Naples. This activity has been reconstructed from the study of documents preserved in the State Archives of Naples, and is part of the vibrant scientific and cultural scene of the first half of the 19th century.

___Salvatore Esposito & Adele Naddeo