Tower of Pisa
Heritage & Culture
Pisa | Italy
2025
Photo
Ivan Rossi
Lighting the Tower of Pisa. A complex project
The Tower of Pisa, better known as the «leaning Tower», is the free-standing bell tower of the Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta, in the very famous Piazza del Duomo or Campo dei Miracoli. It is the symbol of the city and certainly one of Italy’s most iconic images.
The Tower is around 57 metres high and was built between the twelfth and fourteenth century AD. It has a series of blind arches and six floors of loggias, for a total of 8 floors. The inclination of approximately 4 degrees, is due to subsidence of the underlying land which was already visible in the early stages of construction. Lighting such an important monument was a complex project which was developed over the course of almost 6 years.
The lighting visible today is the result of numerous tests and trials carried out in collaboration with Opera della Primaziale Pisana, the Soprintendenza per i beni architettonici, paesaggistici e monumentali (Superintendence for architectural, landscaping and monumental assets) and the Delegazione Pisana with the aim of creating an optimal effect and colour temperature to fully enhance the sophisticated contrast of lightness and solidity of the famous monument. The transparency and three-dimensionality of the bell tower, the external mouldings, the contrast between solids and shadows of the belltower during the day are also highlighted at night thanks to the new lighting by Targetti.
