Cassini Observatory, Perinaldo

Who was Cassini

Giovanni Domenico Cassini was born in Perinaldo on 8 June 1625 and died in Paris on 14 September 1712. He taught astronomy in Bologna and from 1671 directed the Paris Observatory, becoming a French citizen in 1673. He discovered four moons of Saturn (Iapetus, Rhea, Dione and Tethys) and the gap in its rings named after him; with Hooke he observed Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. Two asteroids honour him and his birthplace: 24101 Cassini and 7556 Perinaldo.

2025 marked 400 years since his birth, with a national committee of the Ministry of Culture. A commemorative stamp came out on 8 June 2025, cancelled on the first day at the Perinaldo post office. His nephew and assistant was Giacomo Filippo Maraldi.

The observatory

The municipal observatory opened in 1989. Its 3-metre dome holds a 380 mm Newtonian reflector and at most six people; a room has a 356 mm telescope for planets and double stars. On public evenings portable telescopes are set up in the square, and in bad weather the evening moves to the planetarium. Since 2020 it has been run by Orbita APS, which added a second dome, solar instruments and a virtual-reality room.

The photo above shows the village at sunset, not the observatory.

How to book

In 2026 the operator says the observatory can be visited only during events. Online booking is compulsory and holds your place; payment is on the spot unless stated otherwise. General fees are 15 euros for adults and 10 euros for children under 13, but each event can set its own price. The membership card (5 euros per person or family) is described inconsistently across pages: check the event page. The calendar is on the Orbita website. Private and school visits are requested from the operator.

When to go

In 2026 public evenings were concentrated between July and September: Deep Sky Night, Journey into the Milky Way, Waiting for the Perseids, the Moon nights and, on 12 September, Towards Saturn. The spring equinox event was on 21 March. 2027 dates are not confirmed. The operator announces at 18:00 on the day whether the evening is on or off, and confirmation does not guarantee a clear sky.

The Cassini Museum

The museum, in the same building, was opened by the municipality in 1997. It shows documents, observation notes, drawings, letters and portraits in ten themed cases, a Cassini–Maraldi family tree and panels on astronomy and space missions. A 2020 ministry record gives weekday mornings, but the operator speaks of visits at events only. 2026 hours and price are not confirmed: check hours and booking with the Information Office, tel. +39 380 4761705, before you go up.

The sundial of the Visitation

The Church of the Visitation, at the entrance to the village, holds a camera-obscura sundial from 2007. A 15 mm hole projects the Sun’s image onto a line about 20 metres long, crossed by the bright disc at solar noon. It was designed by Giancarlo Bonini with the Stellaria association. A story says the church is aligned on the meridian thanks to Cassini, but there are no documents, and the line is off by about 6.5 degrees today.

The solar system on via Cassini

Along via Cassini, murals and panels form a scale solar system. No hours, no ticket: you walk and read. It works well with children and as a warm-up before the evening.

Two common mistakes

• A website and phone number in some old records lead to a different association based in another municipality. The operator of Perinaldo’s observatory is Orbita.
• Castello Maraldi, traditionally linked to Cassini’s birth, is a private home: you see it from outside only.

Combine it with

The day after your evening you can go down to Apricale on foot or by car, continue to Dolceacqua and finish by the sea at Bordighera or Ventimiglia.