Look up toward the sky tonight as it’s la notte di San Lorenzo in Italy!
The Night of St. Lawrence or Night of the Shooting Stars is one of summer’s most awaited and beloved events in Italy, when people gather outside, in parks and squares, at the beach or at the mountains, to admire the night sky and hopefully catch a falling star - so you can make your wish.
Falling stars are more likely to be seen in the Northern Hemisphere this time of the year because the annual Perseids meteor shower reaches its peak mid-August.
The Perseids have been referred to as the "tears of St. Lawrence" in the Catholic tradition, since 10 August is the date of that saint's martyrdom. Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome under Pope Sixtus II and was martyred on August 10, during the persecution of Emperor Valerian in 258.
