Lighting refurbishment of worship places: The case study of Church “Santa Maria di Piedigrotta”

Christian church buildings constitute most of the Italian’s architectural heritage. In this paper, the case study of the exterior lighting renewal of the Church “Santa Maria di Piedigrotta”, located in Napoli, is showed. The lighting project has been performed with the goal of emphasizing the original hierarchies of building details, often difficult to understand with the actual lighting system. The research activity started with the analysis of the façades and belfry architectural features, as well as the existing lighting system. In order to allow the comparison and optimization of the various lighting design solutions, a virtual model of the church was realized in the simulation software DIALuxEvo. In the most suitable concept, both diffused and accent lighting were integrated, allowing a correct perception of the whole Church façades and highlighting its most valuable elements. The results obtained have responded positively to the enhancement and conservation of works of historical-artistic interest and to the achievement of energy saving. Moreover, the Standards of Law restrictions on "light pollution towards the sky" for historical and monumental buildings have been respected.