The Castello al Monte cloister lives again with new lighting

In 2023, Francesco Vignati, a lighting designer from San Severino Marche and set designer Gabriele Moreschi worked together to create a new setup and lighting system for the Castello al Monte cloister. They then submitted their project to a call for tenders launched by the Marches Regional authorities and won the grant on offer for their local municipality. 

The hilltop castle complex of Castello al Monte, located on the heights of Monte Nero, is one of the key sights in San Severino Marche.  The structure was built in the early Middle Ages, following the destruction of the ancient Roman city of Septempeda, the remains of which can be found in the town’s Pieve district.

Thanks to the “Story of the Ancient Cloister in Art and Light” project, that is part of the program authorised by the Special Arts, Landscape and Archaeology Heritage Authorities, Vignati and Moreschi’s work has given new life to these spaces by installing luminaires under the loggias and between the cloister colonnades. In the centre of the cloister there is also a large egg-shaped element, created by the Laboratorio Scenografia Pesaro (Pesaro Set Design Lab), to be a symbol of sight, creation, rebirth, and heart of the universe.

The lighting interacts seamlessly with the cloister’s architectural design that consists of two tiers of arches. Each arch in the first tier corresponds to two arches in the second, and they are all highlighted by a 180° light blade effect created by Trick luminaires. A surface-mounted version of these luminaires is also used to illuminate the walls with a 360° grazing effect. iWay bollards with 180° optics have been installed at the foot of the columns.  

To illuminate the sweep of the arches, emphasize their rhythm and light the covered area of the cloister, Palco floodlights, fitted with superspot optics have been installed to provide top-down lighting. All the luminaires have a rust brown finish to match the colour of the brickwork used in the cloister.