Evening visits are back at Museum La Specola, the museum of the Astronomical Observatory of Padua.
The Observatory is one of the main facilities of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the public research body dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics, and one of the oldest research institutes in the city of Padua. Since its foundation in 1767, the Observatory has been housed in the main tower of the 14th‑century Castelvecchio, known as La Specola, one of Padua’s most iconic historic buildings.
In addition to carrying out astronomical research,
the Observatory has always placed great emphasis on the preservation of its historical heritage. Since the 1980s, it has undertaken conservation and restoration projects involving historical instruments, architectural spaces, and 14th‑century frescoes from the Carrarese period. These efforts have not only safeguarded the historical memory of this part of the city, but have also made it possible - since 1994 - to open the oldest core of the Observatory, the tower itself, to the public, transforming it into an astronomical museum.
For thirty years, the museum tour has offered visitors the opportunity to explore not only the spaces and instruments used by Paduan astronomers in the 18th and 19th centuries, but also the central stronghold of what was once the castle of Ezzelino III da Romano and later of the Carraresi family.
Starting 8 May, evening visits will once again be available. La Specola will be open
on Fridays at 8:30 pm in
May,
June,
September, and
October, and
on Wednesdays at 8:30 pm in
July and
August.