20 August 2026
Florence
There is a Florentine August we know well: the city slowing down, the streets emptying a little, the long light of the evening. And then there is August 2026, which will be unlike any other. From 1 to 9 August, Florence becomes the world capital of space research: at the Fortezza da Basso — a few steps from our home in Piazza dell'Indipendenza — the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, the Committee on Space Research, comes to town. And as if the calendar had wanted to write a perfect ending, the evening of 10 August brings the Night of San Lorenzo, the night of shooting stars.
COSPAR 2026: the world of space meets in Florence
Since 1958, COSPAR has been the leading international organisation for the space sciences. Its biennial assembly is where researchers, space agencies and institutions from all over the world compare their most recent results: this Florentine edition, organised by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), will bring together around 3,000 scientists and something like 150 working sessions.
The topics cover practically everything above our heads:
- Earth observation and climate studies;
- the Moon, the planets and the small bodies of the Solar System;
- astrophysics and cosmology;
- astrobiology, space weather and space medicine.
For Florence it is an important return: the city hosted COSPAR for the first time more than sixty years ago, and this new edition is also a recognition of the role of Italian research — Italy was the third country in the world to send a scientific satellite into space, back in 1964. Watching the Fortezza da Basso, a Renaissance fortification, fill up with people who study black holes and missions to Mars has something very Florentine about it: here, science and beauty have always been on speaking terms. After all, Galileo observed the sky from these very hills.
The Night of San Lorenzo: when the stars are watched with the naked eye
On 10 August, as the scientists head home, the sky offers everyone else its most democratic show: the Perseids, the shooting stars of San Lorenzo. No telescopes or astrophysics degrees required — just a dark spot, a little patience and, if you like the tradition, a wish at the ready.
In and around Florence there are a few good places to watch:
- Piazzale Michelangelo and the steps of San Miniato al Monte, to combine the sky with the view over the city;
- the hills of Fiesole, where the city lights fade and the Milky Way becomes visible again;
- the banks of the Arno outside the centre, for those who prefer to stay on level ground;
- our own garden, for anyone who simply wants to look up that evening with a glass in hand.
San Lorenzo in Florence is also a real celebration: on 10 August the city honours its neighbourhood patron saint with events around the Basilica of San Lorenzo, including the traditional handout of watermelon and pasta in the square. A very concrete — and very Tuscan — way of celebrating the stars.
Sleeping a short walk from the Fortezza da Basso (and from the stars)
If you are attending COSPAR 2026, geography is on your side: Palazzo Castri 1874 stands in Piazza dell'Indipendenza, about five minutes on foot from the entrance to the Fortezza da Basso and ten from Santa Maria Novella station. Which means you can come back to the hotel between one session and the next, with no taxis and no hassle.
And after days packed with conferences, we know how much it matters to have somewhere to slow down:
- our rooms and suites, quiet despite the central location;
- the garden and the outdoor pool, for a swim, an aperitivo and dinner in the cool of the evening;
- our breakfast, to start even the longest days on the right foot.
Whether you are coming to Florence to talk about exoplanets or simply to make a wish under the Perseids, in August the sky above the city deserves your attention. We will be here, between the Fortezza and the stars: if you would like to organise your stay, write to us and we will plan it together.
