The "Ulrico Hoepli" Planetarium holds two records. It was one of the first to be built in Italy, opening in 1930, and, 80 years on, it is still the largest.
It is an institution providing education and information in the areas of astronomy and related sciences, such as physics, astronautical engineering and the Earth Sciences. Visitors can watch projections of the night sky inside the dome, almost 20 metres in diameter, and they learn how to recognize stars, planets and constellations, under the guidance of an expert.
Milan’s Planetarium organizes educational conferences for both adults and children.
The Planetarium was donated to the City of Milan by Ulrico Hoepli, on occasion of his eightieth birthday, and it was inaugurated in 1930. Hoepli, born in German-speaking Switzerland (Tuttwill-Turgovia 1847 – Milan 1935), founded the like-named scientific publishing house, and he was keenly interested in astronomy, publishing many papers written by staff at the Brera Astronomical University.
In 1929, Hoepli began publishing works by famous astronomer Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli, born in Piedmont but who lived in Milan. Schiaparelli managed the Brera Observatory for over 40 years. Ulrico Hoepli opened a shop in Milan on 7 December 1870, which soon became an important centre for popular culture. The Planetarium was damaged by air-raids in 1943, and it was restored in 1954-1955.