Spoleto by Light | Comune di Spoleto - Turismo e CulturaComune di Spoleto

The project ‘Spoleto by Light’ was inaugurated: the city’s landmarks are reborn in all their splendour thanks to architectural lighting

With the impressive evening tour held last night in the presence of local institutions, the important lighting project to enhance the architectural and stylistic beauty of the city was officially inaugurated.

Funded by the City of Spoleto and approved in synergy with the Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia and the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio dell’Umbria, the project was realised by Studio I-DEA with the contribution of the suppliers Signify, Zumtobel and the contractor Cosmos Consalvi. The works involved Piazza Duomo, the Museum of Modern Art in Palazzo Collicola and some of Spoleto’s most important landmarks.

Spoleto (PG) – The new lighting of Piazza Duomo and the city’s landmarks was inaugurated yesterday evening with the evening tour ‘Spoleto by Light’, an event attended by Andrea Sisti, Mayor of Spoleto, and H.E. Monsignor Renato Boccardo, Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia.

The lighting intervention was strongly desired by the City of Spoleto and financed with public resources with the aim of respecting and enhancing, through light, the architectural and stylistic elements that attract tourists from all over the world to the city. Thanks to the dedicated lighting interventions, the project gives new light not only to the city’s symbolic places – Piazza Duomo, Arco di Druso, Palazzo Collicola and the Church of Santissimi Giovanni e Paolo – but also to the famous sculptures of the 5th Festival dei Due mondi 1962 – ‘Colonna del Viaggiatore‘ by Arnaldo Pomodoro, ‘Spoleto 1962‘ by Nino Franchina, ‘Stranger III‘ by Lynn Chadwick and ‘Colloquio Spoletino‘ by Pietro Consagra.

“This was a project to upgrade the lighting system that affected some of the city’s most important cultural attractions. Symbolic places such as Piazza Duomo, the Arch of Druso and Palazzo Collicola have been significantly enhanced, and the works of Giovanni Carandente’s historic exhibition ‘Sculptures in the City’ have also been given new visibility. It should be remembered that this intervention, which undoubtedly has the merit of enhancing the beauty of our historic centre, was made possible thanks to European funding linked to the Urban Agenda. We are on the eve of the definition of the Urban Agenda II programme, which will take place later this year, a process that will allow us to further define our vision of the city from now until 2030”, said mayor Andrea Sisti.

“In all religions, light is a symbol of divinity; in various pages of Holy Scripture, God manifests himself as light for the life and path of his creatures. Even at our level, while illuminating the darkness, light makes it possible to admire and appreciate everything that responds to the longing for beauty that dwells in the human heart. Especially in our wounded times, we need these signs more than ever. Even the façade of the Spoleto Cathedral, thanks to the new lighting, presents itself to us in all its splendour and the ancient mosaic still speaks to the City”, commented H.E. Monsignor Renato Boccardo, Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia.

Also present at the inaugural event were architect Lorenza Golinelli, President of Studio I-DEA, Diego Ambrosi, Sales – Key Account Manager Systems & Services Public at Signify, Fulvio Calabretti, Lighting Consultant Zumtobel and Francesco Consalvi, Director of Cosmos Consalvi S.r.l.

The new lighting in Spoleto was entirely designed by Studio I-DEA, which has specialised for over 15 years in lighting design projects for cities, places of art, monuments and museums, and which worked in synergy with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio dell’Umbria, the City of Spoleto and the Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia. In addition, as lighting partners, Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) and Zumtobel, both leading companies in the field of lighting, were involved in the enhancement of the exterior and interior of the buildings respectively. Finally, the interventions were also made possible thanks to the professionalism of the contractor Cosmos Consalvi S.r.l., a company specialised in public and private lighting and special installations.

Studio I-DEA was responsible for the lighting design of all the sites involved. The I-DEA method starts with an analysis of the context to ensure perfect harmony between light and architecture in each project. In order to meet such a broad and complex challenge as that of illuminating the symbolic places and works of Spoleto, in-depth studies were therefore carried out on each monument, work of art and sculpture in order to identify the appropriate lighting cut for each site. The project aims to guarantee the quality, aesthetics and durability of the interventions, therefore state-of-the-art plant technologies were used and close synergy was worked with all the partners involved.

“The new lighting designed for Spoleto’s architecture, sculptures and works of art, has been meticulously measured both in terms of the colour temperatures used and the amount of light on each individual detail. A meticulous work that we were really passionate about, aimed at enhancing the prestigious cultural heritage of this city”, said Architect Lorenza Golinelli, President of Studio I-DEA.

Signify intervened on the Arch of Drusus, the Traveller’s Column and the famous Cathedral Square by implementing both architectural and functional lighting to enhance the façade, rose window and bell tower, as well as to improve and enhance the entire square, the buildings in front of it and the access steps. This was achieved through the installation of Philips LED wall luminaires and over 70 Color Kinetics LED luminaires in combination with Interact Landmark, the connected light control system. These new LED luminaires and the Signify software for monitoring and managing lighting sequences make it possible to enhance the exteriors of the monuments to the fullest in the eyes of citizens and tourists, for example by allowing them to create and recall predefined lighting configurations. In addition, thanks to the system’s hybrid architecture, Signify made it possible to overcome architectural and system constraints through both wired and wireless controllers.

“We are really proud and honoured to have taken part in the lighting restyling of Piazza del Duomo and the main cultural places in the city of Spoleto. With this project, which features some of the most important buildings in the world from a historical-artistic point of view, Signify confirms itself as a reference point in the offer of lighting systems able to enhance urban realities thanks to architectural and functional lighting, as well as the ideal partner to support designers and PA in the optimised management of public lighting, thus favouring the evolution of cities into smart cities”, commented Diego Ambrosi, Sales – Key Account Manager Systems & Services Public at Signify.

Given its consolidated experience in the monumental lighting sector, Cosmos Consalvi provided technical and executive indications in order to make the lighting system less visible and invasive without sacrificing efficiency and technology, with the aim of highlighting and enhancing the beauty of the monuments and works of art. Cosmos Consalvi has also realised and applied an ad-hoc study to interface the lighting systems with Wi-Fi technologies, giving the City’s staff the possibility of managing the switching and dimming of the monumental and functional lighting via app in the case of events and shows without the use of workers and lifting equipment to reach the light sources.

“For an Umbrian company like ours, founded by the Consalvi family in 1987, it is an honour to have taken part in this important project. Given our equipment and highly skilled workers, we were able to complete the project on schedule, without inconveniencing the citizens and achieving a visually impressive result. The project also guarantees energy savings of around 65% and less light pollution, as well as greater electrical safety and cutting-edge technological innovation.”, said Francesco Consalvi of Cosmos Consalvi S.r.l.

Illuminating an exhibition route within a historic building is always a challenge and holds great emotion. The highest technical excellence must be combined with the strict rules dictated by the architectural configuration of the environment, the type of exhibition route and works of art, their protection and preservation, and the constraints of plant engineering. Zumtobel’s Supersystem systems and luminaires used at Palazzo Collicola make it possible to shape the light according to specific requirements and to render vivid colours with excellent colour rendering, so that the works are protected over time thanks to the careful selection of diodes and the control of spectral emission. Added to this are infrastructures, accessories and power supply and management systems designed to be easy to install and maintain. Timeless solutions, thanks also to a miniaturised, sober and integrated aesthetic that offers designers the possibility of expressing themselves at their best by having a real toolbox for architectural lighting, and installers a system that is easy to install and maintain. To the installer, the pleasure of a valuable solution that repays itself with the appreciation of visitors.

“We at Zumtobel have a special relationship with art and heritage. It is a relationship founded on respect for our past, a commitment to highlighting and handing down over time the immense wealth that our cities, our towns, our places jealously guard. Italy bears witness to our profound experience: this is demonstrated by the dense network of museums, fortresses, galleries, historic centres, and archaeological sites where our light dialogues with the architecture, works and details that, with their richness and beauty, bear witness to our past and our values. Places that daily feed our thirst for culture, desire for beauty and sense of community and inclusion. We are proud and grateful to the client for being chosen as a partner for the lighting of Palazzo Collicola’s exhibition rooms. An intervention that perfectly represented the concept of integrated design, seeing the maximum expression not only of lighting technology, but also of the creativity and knowledge of the designers and the competence and professionalism of the installation company. A piece of history of the city of Spoleto given back to the community in a new light”, said finally Fulvio Calabretti, lighting consultant at Zumtobel.

Further information:

Press Office – Comune di Spoleto

Davide Fabrizi

0743 218276

davide.fabrizi@comune.spoleto.pg.it

Press Office – Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia

Francesco Carlini, Press Office director

ufficiostampa@spoletonorcia.it

I-DEA Luce Architettura

Annagiulia Gramigna

Tel: +39 0542 26945

E-mail:comunicazione@i-dea.it