In Gaia, at the top of Monte da Virgem, there is a discreet Astronomical Observatory with a lot to teach.

Created in 1948 to complement Astronomy studies at the Faculty of Sciences, only 9 years later it opened its most notable instrument: the Mirror Meridian Circle.
It is a curious piece of equipment, so rare that there are only two more in the world, installed in a semi-cylindrical building, whose roof slides to allow precise observation of the passage of stars through the local meridian.
What would their two telescopes be used for at the time? And what are they for now?

Come and appreciate its unusual beauty, and understand how time has been measured over time!