VIEW OF COLDIGIOCO FROM THE SOUTH DURING THE FALL

schoolhouse

margolis hall

locanda smith

la birotta

palazzo villani

old rifugio

villa K/T

casa koeberl

villa rosa

Schoolhouse The main building of the Observatory is a renovated former schoolhouse and has a public telephone, a library room, a xerox machine, study spaces, geological labs, and computers. The schoolhouse has recently been outfitted with solar panels (financed in part by the Regional government) which will heat water for several observatory buildings. TOP

Margolis Hall Named in memory of geologist Stanley Margolis, this building (the white one) houses a classroom equipped with slide and overhead projectors. Also home to the large communal kitchen, pizza oven (see below), and dining terraces. Access to bocce court is off the west end terrace. The yellow house is "La Birotta". TOP

Pizza Oven (Margolis Hall) The wood-burning pizza oven and barbeque center is located on the west terrace of Margolis Hall immediately adjacent to the bocce court. TOP

Visitor Housing

Most of the buildings in Coldigioco are renovated 300-400 year old residential or farm buildings which are rustic and each beautiful in their own ways. There are four main buildings which house visitors. Each room holds anywhere from two to four people. Each house has a bathroom including toilet, sink, and often a shower. Showers may also be had in the bathhouse, which is better equipped to handle larger groups. Beds, sheets, and pillows are provided by OGC. Towels are not provided (but are nice to have, especially for swimming in the Adriatic Sea or the local reservoir). Laundry can be done using several laundry machines. As in most European households, clothes are line dried.
 

Locanda Smith Restored former residence with 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, and common room. This is a view from the street which runs through town. The basement houses a tool shop, laundry facilities and geology storage and work areas. TOP

Palazzo Villani Restored former residence of Itala and Giovanni Villani, longtime local residents since moved to Frontale, 2 km west of Coldigioco. The visitor housing includes 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. The street level houses a demonstration kitchen for cooking courses (the C.U.C.I.N.A. -- Coldigioco Unit for Culinary Investigations in the Northern Apennines) and a glasswork studio for art courses. The building also houses a private apartment on the east end not used for visitors. TOP

Old Rifugio Restored former residence with 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. Also houses the wine cellar. This building also contains a separate visitor apartment with mini-kitchen and bathroom with an entrance around the corner. TOP

Villa K/T Restored former residence. This building houses an upstairs private apartment not used for visitors and visitor housing downstairs which includes 4 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. This building also includes the Jurassic Pub, a frequently-used gathering spot. This is a view from Piazza Itala (the central town square). TOP

La Birotta, Casa Koeberl, Villa Rosa, and other buildings
Other buildings in the town house private residences (e.g., La Birotta, Casa Koeberl, Villa Rosa). The Coldigioco Hill Astronomical Observatory Station (C.H.A.O.S.), located between Old Rifugio and Villa Rosa, consists of a Mead LX200 telescope and computer control system used for studying the morphology of lunar impact craters, the planets, and beyond. There is also a small chapel in which mass is conducted on the feast day of the town's patron saint (Festa di San Michele, September 29).
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