August 10th is the feast day of San Lorenzo which is also accompanied by a meteor shower that shoots through the night sky all over this part of the world. Folklore tells that the stars racing through the sky are the "tears" of San Lorenzo, or the "sparks" of the flames that engulfed his body. San Lorenzo was, in this grisly tale of a Saint, roasted alive, and the meteor shower that coincides with his feast day has through time adopted the folklore of his story. This day is celebrated little outside of Italy, but here people enthusiastically grab blankets and head to the beach, or hike up a little to a ledge looking over the sea, and lay out to watch the starts.
This year, stars can be seen until the 12th, and Monterosso is a perfect place to watch them, as we have little artificial light to distract from the sky, as well as a beautiful vista to watch stars falling over the ocean. Depending on cloud cover and the brightness of the moon, you can see up to 15-20 shooting stars every 10 minutes. For those of you visiting this weekend, remember to look up at night - and make a wish!
Rebuild Monterosso is dedicated to the diffusion of information to Monterosso's international community. By following the progress and the community's plans for reconstruction after the flood on October 25th, you can participate and support the rebuilding of this beloved area.
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