St. Lawrence Night celebrations across Italy and Croatia

Early August announcements listed public events across Italian towns to mark St. Lawrence Night and the Perseids meteor shower, including evening tours, picnic-and-stargazing sessions, open-air monastery visits and a wish-well competition in Legnano, Tradate, Torbanelle and Pieve di Teco. A few days later the Valtellina region hosted candle-lit processions, fire-eaters, street-artist parades and live acoustic music in Chiavenna and Sondrio, the latter also offering a DOCG wine-tasting itinerary. On 10 August the programme expanded to Ascoli Piceno’s street-theatre circus festival, Chiavenna’s repeat candle-lit promenade with fire-eaters and an illuminated piano, Ortucchio’s literary night in an old mill, and Lucca’s open-air concerts on its medieval walls. The Vinalia wine-and-food fair continued, Canosa held a pasta-making competition, and Tuscany’s “Calici di Stelle” combined vineyard walks, tastings and stargazing. New venues added Alba’s “Notti del Vino” showcasing local producers, Schiavonea’s “Notte dei Falò” fire-show with a Lucio Dalla tribute, San Martino in Pensilis’s wine round-tables and street-food stalls, and the island of Giglio’s three-day concert series and the 58th Palio Marinaro. Further highlights on 10 August included Sondrio’s “Calici Valtellina” wine-tasting walk, Alba’s repeat “Notti del Vino”, Chiavenna’s candle-lit promenade, Ascoli Piceno’s “La Notte, il Circo e la Luna”, and music, food fairs and stargazing in Lucca, Castelpoto, Ortucchio and San Martino in Pensilis. Genoa’s Chiale hosted the “Marcia della Luce” race won by Nicola Vanni, and the parish church of San Lorenzo Martire in Colleminuccio (Teramo) reopened after seismic repairs. In addition to these Italian celebrations, the festivities extended to Croatia, where the community in Villanova del Quieto held its traditional San Lorenzo festival with parades, music, and sports. Religious observances also included a major celebration at the Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura in Rome, featuring a procession and fireworks.