  ASTRI is a Flagship Project led by the Italian National Institute of
Astrophysics, INAF. The main objective of the ASTRI project is to develop a
prototype of the Small Size class Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
(CTA) in a dual-mirror configuration (SST-2M). The ASTRI SST-2M is an
end-to-end prototype that will be fully developed by the ASTRI Collaboration
from the optics design and manufacturing to the focal plane camera, from the
structure of the mount to all the needed software. The ASTRI SST-2M prototype
will be placed at the INAF "M.G. Fracastoro" observing station in Serra La Nave
on the Etna Mountain near Catania, Italy. The technological solutions adopted
will be tested on field: observations of the Crab Nebula and of other sources
will be essential part of the science verification phase, with the aim to
assess the achievement of the scientific requirements. In the following we
present the Serra La Nave site together with all the auxiliary instruments
needed for atmospheric monitoring and characterization, calibration and science
verification of the ASTRI SST-2M prototype.

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics