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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Angela Giuffrida in Rome

Fragments of ‘Valentine’s fireball’ meteorite fall in southern Italy

Matera is renowned for its limestone buildings and cave dwellings.
Matera is renowned for its limestone buildings and cave dwellings. Photograph: rudi1976/Alamy

Residents of southern Italy’s picturesque and ancient “city of stone” have been gripped by another rocky phenomenon after a meteorite crash-landed on the balcony of a home in Matera’s suburbs.

The space object, which had been travelling at about 200mph, was spotted in the skies above the Puglia and Basilicata regions on 14 February, becoming known as “Valentine’s fireball”, before falling on to the balcony of the home of brothers Gianfranco and Pino Losignore and their parents.

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