Each year on Aug 17, the northern Italian fishing village of Porto Venere is illuminated with more than 2,000 torches for the festival of the White Madonna, a tribute to the town’s patron saint. The lights extend onto this rocky spur, which juts into the Gulf of La Spezia, also known as the Gulf of Poets. With views like this, we can easily see how it inspired poets and artists throughout history–including Lord Byron, who is said to have swum across this body of water to visit fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Illuminations on the Gulf of Poets
Today in History
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A day for our oceans
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A bridge comes full circle
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Look to the north sky tonight for the Perseids
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Cinco de Mayo
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Don t forget—it’s World Elephant Day
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A misty morning in Brazil
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A predator at risk
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An ancient sailing tradition takes to the water
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A river runs through rice fields
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Bonifacio on the island of Corsica, France
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Summer winds down in the Southern Hemisphere
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Green sea turtle on World Oceans Day
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Pretty in pink, and purple, and red…
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Killer whales in Spildra, Norway
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Trunks stick together
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A history of Vinland
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Lake Bled, Slovenia
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National Park Week: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
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Welcome to the Ring of Fire
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World Bee Day
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All in a day s work
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Day of the Dead
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Brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
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Classical music takes center stage
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In the Most Serene Republic
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Winter at Valley Forge
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Arches National Park, Utah
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Grand finish of Le Tour
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A yearly sign that spring has sprung
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A horse of many colors