As part of the works conducted by the Fabric of Saint Peter for the 2025 Jubilee, Michelangelo’s Pietà has been the subject of multiple projects aimed at rewarding the devotion of pilgrims and visitors with an optimal visual experience of this icon of the Virgin Mary and improving its safety and stability.
As well as replacing the glass window protecting the work, the lighting design was updated by lighting designers Guido Bianchi and Nicoletta Rossi. The intervention was entirely supported by iGuzzini.
Respecting Michelangelo's wishes - who, at the end of the 1400s, studied the light factor very carefully and smoothed the surfaces of his masterpiece so meticulously just a few candles would make them shine - iGuzzini has now made the artist's most famous marble sculpture gleam with a new light.
The Pietà is now lit with
iGuzzini’s new Sipario floodlight, a luminaire specifically designed to meet the lighting requirements of artworks, museum spaces, cultural venues and theatres. Characterised by lightness, compact size, low consumption, integrated smart technology and easy-to-replace components, Sipario is fitted with patented Opti Beam Reflector optics, designed and produced in-house by iGuzzini. These optics create a sharp, clean beam of light with no double-ring effect.
‘Illuminating masterpieces like Michelangelo's Pietà is an honour for those who, like us at iGuzzini, believe that beauty and culture are at the heart of social innovation. Thanks to the new project 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 makes an improved contribution in terms of sustainability; not only lighting excellence, but also a responsible choice for the future.’
(Cristiano Venturini, CEO iGuzzini illuminazione)