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

On the occasion of the forthcoming Night of San Lorenzo, one of the most fascinating and magical moments of the year, Roma Capitale, Assessorato alla Cultura and Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali are dedicating the initiative Le Notti di San Lorenzo to the extraordinary spectacle of shooting stars, with three special evenings. After two encounters at the Planetarium of Rome on 10 and 11 August, on 12 August the enchanting archaeological site of the Villa of Maxentius on the Appia Antica, which will be open extraordinarily late in the evening, will host the final event of the festival. 

The Planetarium’s astronomers will introduce the evening of sky observation at 9.00 pm, with Una Notte al Circo dei Desideri (A Night at the Circus of Desires), while a screen set up in the area will project the image of the sky acquired in real time by the fisheye webcam of Gianluca Masi's Virtual Telescope, which captures the visible traces of meteors from the sky of Manciano, in Tuscany, the darkest in peninsular Italy. Following this, from 9.30 p.m. to midnight, on the lawn of the Circus of Maxentius there will be the Star Party of San Lorenzo, a gathering of all stargazing enthusiasts with free access (last admission at 11 p.m.). An evening to be spent under the starry sky, away from the city lights, to contemplate the constellations with the naked eye and with the expert guidance of astronomers, and especially the stars of the evening: the Perseids.

An area is also dedicated to children, who, in the company of Dr. Stellarium, will go on a 'shooting star' hunt, retracing their journey through the solar system on an ancient comet.

You can take a seat on the lawn area, bringing along a cushion, cloth or stool, and enjoy this celestial spectacle that has always fascinated us, precisely on the day when the stars fall most frequently.