Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF Telescopio Nazionale Galileo 28°45'14.4N 17°53'20.6W 2387.2m A.S.L.

The Italian Ambassador in Spain Riccardo Guariglia visits the TNG

On Saturday July 2, the Ambassador of Italy in Madrid, Riccardo Guariglia, carried out an institutional mission on the island of La Palma, to visit the largest optical/infrared italian telescope, the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. Accompanied by the Consul of Italy in Arona, Gianluca Cappelli Bigazzi, the Ambassador was received by the Alcalde Borja Perez Sicilia in the Ayuntamiento of Breña Baja. He also met a delegation of Italian citizens living in the island. Among them, some staff members of the FGG-INAF with their families.

The Scientific Director of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Filippo Zerbi, and the TNG Director, Ennio Poretti, accompanied the Ambassador and his wife Elena Persichetti up to the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, to visit both the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and the Gran Telescopio Canarias. They were received by the IAC Director, Rafael Rebolo, and the GTC Director, Romano Corradi.

On this occasion, the Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia underlined "the importance of the Italian-Spanish cooperation in astronomy, that allowed both countries to reach important results over the years". The INAF Scientific Director Filippo Zerbi emphasized how "The visit of the Ambassador to the international Astronomical Observatory in which the FGG operates the TNG is highly appreciated and very appropriate at a time in which INAF is enlarging the collaboration with IAC through the installation of the Cherenkov Telescope ASTRI-Mini-Array in Tenerife"

Led by the TNG astronomer Gloria Andreuzzi, the group walked in the night under the magnificent starry sky of the Roque Observatory.

Thank you letter from the Ambassador to the TNG's Director

External links for press-releases about the visit:
INAF website
Ambasciata Italiana website