If you are visiting Verona and have already visited the main monuments, such as the Arena and Castelvecchio, and you are looking for an activity that is a slightly out of the ordinary, why not visit an astronomical observatory? The Monte Baldo “Angelo Gelodi” astronomical observatory is the only one in the province of Verona and can be reached in about an hour from the city.

The Angelo Gelodi astronomical observatory is located near the Novezzina refuge on Monte Baldo. It takes its name from a General who was part of the Alpine Transmissions and who collaborated in its foundation, as well as acting as secretary for the Veronese Amateur Astronomers Association for 5 years. The observatory was inaugurated in 2005 and is regularly open to the public for numerous events, including observation evenings, conferences and guided tours. The observatory boasts various pieces of equipment, including refracting telescopes, a Dobsonian 500mm telescope and a Borg 125mm apochromatic refractor telescope. The observatory consists of a building of approximately 120sqm, on a single level, with a 5 meter dome and a 3×5 meter sliding roof structure, in which the main instruments can be placed. The project was strongly supported by the Veronese Amateur Astronomers Club and was presented to the municipality of Ferrara di Monte Baldo in June 2002. Following approval and financing by the Veneto Region, the work started in June 2004. Evenings open to the public usually include a conference that addresses astronomical topics, followed by a visit to the spaces and instruments of the Observatory. Afterwards, it is possible to observe the main constellations and stars through telescopes. 

The Monte Baldo observatory is managed by the Veronesi Amateur Astronomers Club, founded in the 1950s by a group of amateur astronomers who were mainly involved in building telescopes.

They published and edited the “Bollettino Astronomico Triveneto” [Triveneto Astronomical Bulletin], which went to print together with Coelum, a famous astronomical magazine of the time.

Subsequently numerous other groups of enthusiasts were set up, such as the “Veronese Astronomical Society”, the “X4” group and the “Mario Spada” group. The official founding of the current Veronese Amateur Astronomers Club took place in 1977. The purpose of the club was to bring together all the Veronese amateur astronomers of the time, who were initially located in different places. Nowadays, the Veronesi Amateur Astronomers Club is chaired by seven members coordinated by the President who represents the association. Then there are various sectors that deal with organisational issues, which refer to the Board of Directors.

If you decide to head to Monte Baldo to visit the Astronomical Observatory, you can include in your trip a visit to the Novezzina Botanical Garden, which is located near the Observatory. It covers approximately 20,000 square meters, at an altitude of 1200-1300 meters, and contains around 700 species of native plants and flowers of the Baldo. These include Anemone del Baldo, Asfodelo, Bucaneve, Genziana, Mughetto and Stella Alpina, to name but a few. To ensure the conservation of these natural species, a number of micro-environments and ecosystems similar to actual real ones have been recreated within the park, including beech woods and grazing areas. You can also combine your visit to the observatory with a day of trekking: Monte Baldo in fact offers an infinite number of routes of varying difficulty that you can take to spend a few hours surrounded by nature.

This mountain is in fact located in a perfect position near the east coast of Lake Garda and from its top you can enjoy a breathtaking view. The Baldo is also characterised by a wide variety of plant species, some of which survived the glaciations period, and for this reason it is called “the botanical garden of Europe”. A low-difficulty panoramic route is the “l’anello della colma” or the ridge ring, a panoramic route that offers glimpses not only of Lake Garda but also of Presanella, the Adamello, the Veneto, Brescia and of the Trentino pre-Alps. This route is 3.6 km long and starts from the cable car station up to the ridge of Monte Baldo. If, instead, you are looking for more challenging routes, don’t worry! Monte Baldo is made up of a dense network of trails, so you will certainly be able to find the route that best suits your abilities and preferences.