...E LUCEVAN LE STELLE
We are preparing for the night of shooting stars, which this year will be accompanied by other events in the sky.
Starting at 5:15 a.m. on 10 August, early risers will be able to observe the splendid planetary alignment of Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, all visible simultaneously in the sky.
After sunset, the “tears of St. Lawrence” arrive, one of the most abundant swarms of small meteors of the year, remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, creating their characteristic luminous trail.
And then, “lucevan le stelle...”, the magic of the night of St. Lawrence on the walls of Lucca.
This year, the event will be preceded by morning meetings of Waiting for the Stars, Musical Matinees at the San Regolo Bastion, where on 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 August, from 10.30am to 12pm, pieces by Puccini, of course, but also by Bach, Barrtok, Barol, Bizet, Lehar, Mascagni, Mozart and others, organised by the Laboratorio Brunier cultural association.
On the walls of Lucca, the observation of the celestial spectacle on the night of 10 August will be accompanied by stars of music, who will offer concerts, each with their own space on this exceptional stage, starting at 9.15 p.m. From the San Paolino bastion to the Bastion of Liberty, stations will be set up for the musicians and chairs will be placed at the disposal of the public.
Liberty Bastion - The Lucchese Music Association and the Boccherini Conservatory present the Boccherini Conservatory Clarinet Quartet with a series of famous pieces by Puccini, Bizet, Mascagni, Morricone, among others.
San Regolo Bastion - At 9 p.m., the Lucca Municipal Band will open the evening with a marching band procession to the Santa Maria Bastion.
Following this, curated by Flam, the Ensemble Timbralia will perform a repertoire of ancient and traditional music, which street musicians have spread and transmitted through the streets of Italy and Europe for over a millennium. Next, La Sagra Musicale Lucchese will perform with two guitarists, Antonio Dimasi and Francesco Gargano, playing music by Piazzola, Gismondi, Boccherini and others.
San Colombano Bastion - The Laboratorio Brunier association will perform a series of arias by Puccini, Bizet and others with soprano Maria Bruno and Petr Yanchuk on piano.
Santa Maria Bastion, in front of the Caffè delle Mura, where pieces from a varied repertoire will be performed.
This will be followed by Giandomenico Anellino, solo guitarist, who will perform a repertoire of Italian and foreign singer-songwriters.
San Paolino Bastion - Organised by the Circolo Jazz di Lucca, Ambrogio Pagani, blues and more.
The barracks of the San Paolino, San Pietro and San Frediano bastions will also be open for visits, and participants will be welcomed by costumed figures from historical re-enactment associations.
The Guinigi Tower and the Torre delle Ore will be open exceptionally at night for exceptional views of the city and the starry sky.
Tickets can be purchased directly at the ticket office or by booking your preferred time slot through the Summae online platform Summae.
Another splendid celestial event awaits us in the August sky. The conjunction between the two planets Venus and Jupiter, which will be engaged in a long celestial “kiss”.