Medieval Cloister - Santa Maria in Gradi (Viterbo)

The complex of Santa Maria in Gradi, currently seat of the Rectorate and some departments of University of Tuscia, has been a Dominican convent for several years and more recently became a prison.   

In the medieval cloister, dating back to the mid-13th century and subject of this interventation, the original decorative apparatus can still be seen: five five-light windows with pointed arches on each side, which rest on 160 paired marble columns. In the center of the cloister there is a a well dated 1557, positioned on a base made up of tombstones recovered from the ancient Church of S. Maria in Gradi.

The lighting project for the medieval cloister of the Santa Maria in Gradi complex was created thanks to the collaboration among the Studio Due Technical Department, the Technical Office of the University of Tuscia and Architects and Lighting Designers Carolina De Camillis and Riccardo Fibbi.  

For the installation, custom Studio Due luminaires (Cloister Light), consisting of 3 groups of 4 individually tiltable leds of limited height, were used. The above mentioned leds were positioned between the columns and the start of the ribs and designed specifically for each individual capital. Inside the courtyard the lighting system has been restored and improved: the central well and the perimeter columns have been illuminated with Studio Due Terra WL5 fixtures with 17° tilt filters which divert the light flow towards the center of the courtyard.     

"The lighting of the cloister was aimed at respecting the historical place in harmony with the character of the monumental context. Low lighting levels, historically typical of cloistered use, were attributed. Indirect general lighting has been planned with miniaturized linear systems, equipped with 2700K LED groups, with adjustable optics and lenses for elliptical emission in custom execution, and the insertion in the corner bays of circular suspended luminaires with 2700K LED sources with direct/indirect emission and shielded optics. The adopted lighting solution has fully achieved the intended purpose, i.e. the exaltation of the historical architecture of the cloister, while at the same time ensuring perfect camouflage of the lighting fixtures."

 Carolina De Camillis and Riccardo Fibbi, Architects and Lighting Designers