# Old Observatory, Italy: what it is and when to go > Old Observatory is an observatory (Vecchio Osservatorio) in Italy. Interests: Stargazing. The best time to visit is November to March. In June there are 14 h 40 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 20. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/old-observatory/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-02 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Observatory · Stargazing - **Local name:** Vecchio Osservatorio - **Where:** Italy - **You can go:** November to March. - **Nearest airport:** CTA Catania, 109 km as the crow flies - **Run by:** INFN - **Coordinates:** 38.44574, 14.94825 ## What it is and where Old Observatory is an observatory (Vecchio Osservatorio) in Italy. Its coordinates are 38.44574, 14.94825; the nearest main airport is Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (CTA, Catania), 109 km as the crow flies. How to get around Italy (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=38.445743%2C14.948248) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=38.445743%2C14.948248) - **Run by:** INFN It is one of the [Stargazing](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/estrellas/) places in Italy. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go Months when you can visit Old Observatory: **November to March**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 9 h 36 | | February | Possible | 10 h 34 | | March | Possible | 11 h 42 | | April | Better not | 13 h | | May | Better not | 14 h 05 | | June | Better not | 14 h 40 | | July | Better not | 14 h 26 | | August | Better not | 13 h 30 | | September | Better not | 12 h 14 | | October | Better not | 10 h 58 | | November | Possible | 9 h 52 | | December | Possible | 9 h 20 | In June there are 14 h 40 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 20. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to Italy in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Italy To enter Italy there are 6 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Valid ID card (DNI) or passport”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Italy checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Euro (EUR); plugs: Type C, F and L · 230 V · 50 Hz (type L, with three pins in a row, needs an adapter); emergencies: 112. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Lipari Cathedral](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/concattedrale-di-san-bartolomeo/): Church building in Lipari, Italy · 2.5 km - [Museo archeologico regionale eoliano (Lipari)](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/museo-archeologico-regionale-eoliano/): Museum in Italy · 2.5 km - [Vulcanello](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/vulcanello/): Nature · 2.5 km - [Vulcano](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/vulcano/): Volcano on a small volcanic island by the same name in the Tyrrhenian Sea · 4.7 km - [San Cristoforo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/basilica-romana-minore-di-san-cristoforo/): Building in Canneto, Italy · 5.1 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Italy guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/). ## More in Italy: Stargazing - [Asiago Astrophysical Observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/osservatorio-astrofisico-di-asiago/): Italian astronomical observatory - [Virgo interferometer](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/interferometro-virgo/): gravitational waves detector - [Brera Astronomical Observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/museo-astronomico-de-brera/): Observatory - [Sormano Astronomical Observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/osservatorio-astronomico-di-sormano/): observatory of Sormano - [Palermo Astronomical Observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/museo-dell-osservatorio-astronomico/): astronomical observatory in Palermo, Sicily, Italy - [Astronomical Observatory of Trieste](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/i-n-a-f-osservatorio-astronomico-di-trieste-stazione-osserva/): observatory in Trieste, Italy Every Italy place under Stargazing, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/estrellas/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Old Observatory? It is an observatory (Vecchio Osservatorio in the local language) in Italy. ### When is the best time to visit Old Observatory? November to March. In June there are 14 h 40 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 20. ### How do you get to Old Observatory? The nearest main airport is Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), 109 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=38.445743%2C14.948248) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Italy is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Italy map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Lipari Cathedral](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/concattedrale-di-san-bartolomeo/), [Museo archeologico regionale eoliano (Lipari)](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/museo-archeologico-regionale-eoliano/), [Vulcanello](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/vulcanello/). The rest is in [the Italy guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/italia/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/236013310), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).