Le notti di San Lorenzo - The Nights of San Lorenzo at the Planetarium and Villa di Massenzio

It is one of the most eagerly awaited astronomical events of the month of August, which never ceases to fascinate and draw our attention: the unmissable spectacle of the Perseids, the so-called rain of falling stars which in popular Christian tradition is said to represent the tears shed by St Lawrence during his torture or the hot coals on which the saint was burned alive on 10 August in 258 AD, Roma Capitale, Assessorato alla Cultura, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali dedicates the initiative Le Notti di San Lorenzo, with three special events at the Planetarium and the Villa di Massenzio.

The event opens at the Planetarium of Rome: on Saturday 10 August, at 9 p.m., the show “Quando cadono le stelle - When the Stars Fall” is the perfect opportunity to make a wish and chase the stars zigzagging through the orbits of comets and asteroids. The show is preceded by the talk “Un Circo aperto al Cielo - A Circus Open to the Sky” introducing the evening of 12 August at the archaeological site of the Villa of Maxentius. On Sunday 11 August, at 9.30 p.m., the extravagant Dr. Stellarium will involve the youngest children (aged 5 and up) and their families in spotting the trails of shooting stars.

On 12 August, the archaeological site that preserves the majestic ruins of the Villa, Mausoleum and Circus of Maxentius on the Appia Antica will open extraordinarily late in the evening to host the final event of the festival. Planetarium’s astronomers will introduce the evening of sky observation at 9.00 pm while a screen will project the image of the sky acquired in real time by the fisheye webcam of Gianluca Masi’s Virtual Telescope. Following this, from 9.30 p.m. to midnight, the lawn of the Circus of Maxentius will host the Star Party of San Lorenzo, a gathering of all stargazing enthusiasts with free access (last admission at 11 p.m.). A space will also be dedicated to children, who, in the company of Dr Stellarium, will go hunting for “falling stars”, retracing their journey through the solar system on an ancient comet.