This project for an observatory is one of the biggest and most impressive drawings we have by Stanley. The project is signed Naples, December 1803, and consists of a façade, cross section and ground plan. Stanley’s observatory represents an abundance of elements and motifs. It is composed of a low, square lower building with diagonally placed entrances on which is placed a circular tower surrounded by a series of arches on tall columns, all crowned by a “tempietto” in the style of Louis XVI. On each level in the interior he places four semicircular rooms with hemispherical vaulting back to back.
