Michelangelo's Pieta shines with new iGuzzini lighting in St. Peter's Basilica

A masterpiece of Renaissance art enjoys a new light. We’re talking about Michelangelo’s Pieta, preserved in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, one of the most famous sculptural groups in art history, which now benefits from an innovative lighting project curated by the company iGuzzini, already involved in 2018 for the work’s first lighting system. This new intervention, part of the Basilica’s restoration and enhancement work in preparation for the Jubilee of 2025, has not only improved the visibility of the sculpture, but also enhanced the safety and staticity of the Marian icon.

The lighting project was created with the intention of respecting the wishes of Michelangelo, who had already paid special attention to the play of light in the late 15th century to enhance the beauty of the marble sculpture. Michelangelo, in fact, had meticulously studied the use of light, smoothing surfaces to make his creation shine with minimal use of candles. This concept was taken up by the iGuzzini team, which developed a lighting solution capable of restoring the same magic as the work, using advanced technologies and respecting the original balance of chiaroscuro.

“Illuminating masterpieces like Michelangelo’s Pieta,” says Cristiano Venturini, CEO iGuzzini Illuminazione, “is an honor for those who, like us at iGuzzini, believe that beauty and culture are at the heart of social innovation. Thanks to the new intervention, it will be possible to admire this sculptural unicum even in its most imperceptible nuances, enhancing every movement, every detail sculpted by the great Renaissance master. The new lighting system also has an improving contribution in terms of sustainability; not only lighting excellence then, but also a responsible choice towards the future.”

Technology and sustainability at the service of art

At the center of the new lighting project is iGuzzini’s Sipario projector, specially designed to illuminate artworks and museum environments. Its compact, low-consumption and easily maintainable structure was deemed suitable for enhancing the delicate shapes of marble, creating a sharp, precise and distortion-free play of light. The patented Opti Beam Reflector optics, developed in-house by iGuzzini, allow for high photometric performance, guaranteeing an exclusive emissive quality that enhances every detail of the work.

The Sipario projector is made from recycled and recyclable materials, and is designed to be easily disassembled and maintained, minimizing environmental impact. The patented optics, capable of enhancing every nuance of the visible, are a key element in ensuring that the lighting not only expresses the beauty of the Pieta, but also preserves its integrity over time.

The lighting designed for St. Peter’s Basilica was equipped with an advanced control system based on the DALI protocol, which allows the light intensity to be precisely adjusted, adapting it to the different needs of the religious structure. This system makes it possible to create differentiated lighting scenarios depending on the time of day or the current event, thus offering a visual experience that is always unique and engaging.

The lighting project: a tailor-made light for La Pietà

Lighting designers Guido Bianchi and Nicoletta Rossi, already involved in the 2018 project, oversaw the new intervention with the aim of creating an overall vision that would enhance the sculpture and its religious and spiritual significance. The lighting design was designed to restore the plasticity of the marble and the shine of the sculpture, creating a perfect balance between light and shadow.

The new lighting system includes four main scenarios, each of which responds to specific visual and devotional needs. Each scenario is designed to enhance different aspects of the work and its surroundings, adapting to the different needs of the Basilica.

The first scenario, the “north - sculptural” one, focuses on the detail of the sculpture, illuminating the Pieta with balanced lighting that restores the plasticity of the marble without emphasizing any particular direction of the light. The lighting is uniform, yet able to highlight the details and reliefs of the marble group. The “east - cut of light” scenario, on the other hand, highlights the Pieta with a cut of light coming from the east side, creating marked shadows that accentuate the recumbent face of the Virgin Mary. This scenario gives the sculpture a very strong emotional impact, thanks also to the reflections that enhance the marble’s luster. The “south - full light” scenario is designed for situations where higher illuminance values are required, such as during events or celebrations, allowing the work to be perceived even from the nave. Finally, the “west - daily” scenario offers a balanced and natural view, ideal for the daily flow of visitors.

The new lighting is also intended to help enhance the devotional and theological character of the Pieta. Each illuminated detail aims to help develop a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work, which represents the Madonna’s grief over the death of her Son, but also the infinite beauty and mercy of God. Thus, iGuzzini’s new technology, with its visual and emotional impact, aims to make people understand Michelangelo’s masterpiece more deeply, both in its artistic and spiritual value, to make it live on as a work capable of moving anyone who pauses to admire it.

Michelangelo's Pieta shines with new iGuzzini lighting in St. Peter's Basilica

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