There are many great spots across the world to gaze at the stars. The International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) lists 130 locations, including three that were added in the USA last year (in Colorado, Arizona, and Utah). One notable omission, if you browse the sites on the IDSA’s map, is Italy. 

Now, though, the country has an officially recognized stargazing site of its own. The valley of Saint-Barthélemy, in northern Italy’s Valle d’Aosta region close to the border with Switzerland, has been designated a Starlight Stellar Park from the UNESCO-affiliated Starlight Foundation.