The cherenkov telescope array observatory and the ASTRI mini-array precursor

Very High Energy (VHE) γ-ray astronomy studies the extremely energetic processes at the TeV regime in-and outside our Galaxy. Significant progress on the investigation of VHE γ-ray phenomena has been achieved in recent years due to the operation of ground-based Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) such as MAGIC, VERITAS and H.E.S.S. The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is an international initiative to build the next generation ground-based VHE γ-ray observatory. Full sky coverage will be assured by two arrays, with one located in the northern and one in the southern hemisphere. Three main classes of IACTs (large, medium, small) will cover a wide energy range, from tens of GeV up to hundreds of TeV. CTA will have a 10 times better sensitivity and angular resolution compared to the present Cherenkov telescope installations. CTA plans to install, at its southern site, about 70 small size telescopes (SSTs) dedicated to study the sky from a few TeV up to hundreds of TeV. The implementation foresees intermediate steps with the development of telescope precursor mini-arrays, like ASTRI led by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in synergy with the Universidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil) and the North-West University (South Africa). The ASTRI mini-array will be composed of nine dual-mirror SSTs whose end-to-end prototype, developed by INAF during the first phase of the ASTRI program, has been recently inaugurated in Italy. In addition to the assessment of a number of technological aspects related to CTA, the ASTRI mini-array will allow us to perform scientific investigations with unprecedented flux sensitivity in the 5-100 TeV energy range.