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. 

Not that they realised at first: the two were carrying out checks on the property’s solar panels when, three days later, they noticed a damaged panel and tile, along with grey fragments scattered across the balcony. “I wasn’t at home when it happened, but my mother was in the basement at the time and heard a loud bang,” said Gianfranco.