In the scenic hills of Sanremo in the picturesque village of Perinaldo – less than one hour from The Mall Sanremo – there is the Cassini Astronomical Observatory: a place surrounded by the blue of the sea and the sky, where silence meets the infinite.
Founded in 1989 in homage to Giovanni Domenico Cassini, an important astronomer and scientist who was born here in 1625, the observatory is today managed by Orbita, which carries on its spirit and mission: let everyone discover the wonder of the stars.
Located 600 metres above sea level in one of the most unspoilt areas of Liguria, the observatory boasts one of the clearest skies in Italy which in the past fascinated and inspired many artists and writers such as Claude Monet and Italo Calvino, who fell in love with this land.
The Milky Way can leave an observer spellbound even when seen with the naked eye but here, far away from artificial lights and captured by extremely powerful telescopes such as the large 400 mm reflector, it shows all its incredible details, allowing us to observe galaxies and planets with exceptional clarity: Saturn with its rings, Jupiter with its moons, the Pleiades or the Orion Nebula.
Led by Lorenzo Sicignano and Giancarlo Vignale, Orbita is a team of professionals and enthusiasts who combine research, science and dissemination. Thanks to themed days, guided tours, public observations and workshops for schools and families, the observatory represents a true centre of culture and wonder where visitors can learn science experientially and have unforgettable memories just by looking up.
Several “off-site” events are also organised: evenings under the stars near the mountain huts in the Ligurian Alps or dinner in restaurants and clubs to learn about astronomy, enjoy traditional dishes and have fun.
And for those who are willing to travel even further, every year around October and November, Orbita organises exciting trips to Iceland in search of the Northern Lights.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Opening Hours: the observatory is open only on specific days listed on flyorbita.com in the events section (mostly in the summer and during the winter at weekends from 9.30pm to 12 midnight)
Booking: required which can be done directly on the website
Payment: on-site by showing the reservation number received at the time of booking (to prevent any inconvenience in case the event is cancelled due to bad weather
Confirmation or cancellation of the event: depending on the weather conditions on the day of the event, visitors are required to check the status on the home page of the website at 6pm (confirmed/cancelled). In case of cancellation, an email will be sent at that time
CONTACT
+39 351 7894592
+39 339 1859360
osservatorioperinaldo@yahoo.com
