The year was 2010 in the vibrant city of Rome and our very own Raffaele De Vita was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to work as part of a team of lighting designers, and wider group of European Consultancies to refurbish the stunning and significant Sistine Chapel.
Raffaele had just completed his final internship for his Master in Lighting Design. He recalls his mentor Marco Frascarolo, a legend, a master in design, ask:
‘Would you like to continue working with us?’
The following week marked the beginning of an extraordinary adventure.
I was asked to do a site visit at the Sistine Chapel.
“It was warm evening as Roberta, a colleague at the time, and I walked through Vatican City. As we approached the Sistine Chapel, we were greeted by a priest clutching a set of rusty weathered keys.
The doors swung open, the lights were on,
but the chapel was empty.
As I stepped inside, it was as if the air held its breath.
I held my breath.
It was all for us.
The priest led us around the chapel and shared the most amazing stories.
The most memorable was how Michelangelo cheekily painted one of the cardinals as the devil.
It was just the most remarkable and fascinating night.
A once in a lifetime”.
Following our site visit, Raffaele collaborated with design firm, Fabertechnica, who led the charge in revolutionising the lighting design, focusing on impeccable LED fittings, harmonious chromaticity, and shielding against UV.
Simultaneously we fostered innovation and historic preservation through layers of light.
The first layer was designed with a singular purpose: to celebrate the artistry itself.
This layer wraps visitors in a beautiful display that highlights all the small details and accentuates each brushstroke of the artwork. Our aim was to create an ambience that forged an emotional connection between the viewer and the artist, allowing them to experience the 500-year-old masterpieces in a personal way.
We used the latest technology and through strategic placement of the almost invisible engineered motorised light fittings. Previously, many of the light fittings were located outside the windows, which created a contrast between darker and brighter areas. So, we replaced this contrast with a more uniform solution.
A challenge we encountered during the project was determining the colour temperature for the space. We collaborated and conducted testing with historians, conservators, and chemists from Vatican City to select the best colour temperature and saturation levels.
“There were so many colours to pick up in the painting, that a standard colour temperature would not work”.
Through this study we selected the perfect chromaticity* and how to best render the infinite number of colours painted by Michelangelo. This also allows the viewer to explore the depths of the artistry, as the lighting expands their perception.
*Chromaticity refers to the quality of colour in light. It’s a way of describing a colour independently of its brightness, and it’s often represented as a point in a colour space. Essentially, chromaticity focuses on the hue and saturation of a colour rather than its intensity or brightness.
The second layer of we used was called “Gala” lighting—a role that only comes to life during institutional and formal events. This lighting is solely used in these occasions, perfectly lighting the visitors and the lower reaches of the chapel. Orchestrated with a repertoire of high-quality LED fittings in the shade of white, this layer creates a symphony of light that complements Michelangelo’s exquisite colour palette.
The Sistine Chapel project spanned a number of years, and in addition to the lighting design included a new high tech air purification and climate control system. It has been suggested by Vittoria Cinimo, head conservator at the Vatican Museums, that the Sistine Chapel “may not need to be restored again” even with an increase in visitors year to year.
Raffaele was lucky enough to witness and be a part of such an historic lighting restoration and is forever grateful to Marco for believing in him.
“I can only hope I am making him proud. Tante belle cose!”
Rafaelle De Vita
Credits
Project and Site Manager and Scientific Coordinator: Fabertechnica
Development and engineering of lighting fixtures: OSRAM
Chromatic studies: University of Pannonia (UP)
Client: European Union – Competitivenes and Innovation Framework Programme (PSP – CIP)
Photo Credits: Governatorato SCV – Direzione dei Musei
