Castelli and the Astronomical Observatory of Abruzzo

Castelli is a small village of 1300 inhabitants in the province of Teramo which rises on the slopes of Monte Bandiera. The town is famous all over the world for the production of ceramics. Thanks to the presence of streams, clay in the ground and woods from which to obtain wood, this tradition has lasted since the time of the Romans. With this material we produce vases, furnishings and ornaments which are then painted by hand. In the village there is also an art institute where these crafts are taught to young people. In this structure there are two museums: one that exhibits a monumental nativity scene and the other dedicated to the contemporary art of ceramics. In addition, there is a library here which holds 3500 texts. Another interesting place a short distance from Castelli is the Astronomical Observatory of Abruzzo where the stars are studied and recorded. Here there is also a nice instrument that measures the weight of a subject as if it were on the Moon, the Sun or another planet in our solar system. Also for visitors it is possible to observe the stars through a telescope dating back to 1800.