The Chianti Multifunctional Observatory (OPC) is a center of excellence located in the hills of Barberino Tavarnelle, designed to bring the public closer to astronomy and science in general. Founded with the aim of promoting scientific knowledge and sky observation, the Observatory is nestled in a beautiful natural setting within the Chianti Botanical Park, one of the few examples of a native environment in the area protected by the OPC.
A multipurpose science center with research facilities, including astronomical, geoseismic and meteorological observatories, it serves as a research laboratory, a place for education and aggregation. Its mission is to make science accessible to everyone, including the disabled, thanks to a multisensory pathway inaugurated in 2016 by Andrea Bocelli, the only one in Italy, which also allows the blind to approach astronomy.
It was inaugurated by Margherita Hack in 2010 and is a unique example of collaboration between researchers from around the world and enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds, united by their interest in the scientific disciplines promoted by the Observatory.
