The lighting system of Palazzo Guiccioli

Palazzo Guiccioli: Exploring 19th-Century Ravenna through the Byron Museum and the Museum of the Risorgimento

15/04/2025

Palazzo Guiccioli: Exploring 19th-Century Ravenna through the Byron Museum and the Museum of the Risorgimento

Nestled amidst the historic streets of Ravenna’s city center, Palazzo Guiccioli stands as an elegant landmark residence recently transformed into a sophisticated museum complex of international acclaim. This innovative project, which encompasses a significant restoration effort, was conceived and realised by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ravenna, the building’s owner.

The exhibition tour unfolds across several levels, allowing visitors to explore the Byron Museum and the Museum of the Risorgimento. Each detail in the Palazzo’s halls has been meticulously curated to evoke the atmosphere of 19th-century Ravenna and enable guests to relive a flourishing era of art, culture, and the socio-political evolution of the region.

DZ Engineering, in collaboration with Project Unity, eagerly embraced the challenge of creating a lighting project within this prestigious historical site to merge immersive narrative with skilled light direction.

The Coexistence of Art and Light: DZ Engineering’s Role

The lighting system was carefully designed to establish a dialogue between art and light. The lighting and aiming activities adhered to a fil rouge, ensuring that the illumination was functional to the display setup, conveying the intentions each Museum seeks to impart to the public. Specifically, DZ Engineering opted to use spotlights to enhance the spaces and custom-made shapers to emphasise decorative and architectural elements, integrating lighting needs with the narrative shared between the exhibited works and the structural framework that houses them. The brightness was intentionally calibrated in each room, with the use of fixtures equipped with dimmable power supplies (18W power, CRI=98, 3000K) being essential to optimize the lighting values.

Byron Museum: When Italy Inspired the Romantic Poet

The first floor of Palazzo Guiccioli hosts the Byron Museum, dedicated to the eponymous English poet George Gordon Byron (1788-1824). The collection, originating from Teresa Gamba’s gathering of Byronian relics, intertwines with an interactive narrative that captivates visitors of all ages.

Strolling among the historical furnishings, paintings, personal objects, and manuscripts of Lord Byron, people witness the vibrant life of the man and the artist, along with the profound impact of his time in Italy on his writing and political vision, embracing the Carbonari ideals and supporting the struggle for Italian independence.

Museum of the Risorgimento: A Journey Through Time and Emotionsun

The essence of the Italian Risorgimento comes alive in the rooms of the piano nobile through a pathway that evokes its fundamental stages, where original documents, art, and scenographic reconstructions outline the crucial role of both prominent figures and ordinary citizens. The early uprisings, the fervour of revolutionary movements, and the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy are all retraced.

The exhibition presents a compelling narrative, inviting reflection on the legacy of a historical moment that shaped national identity.

Illuminating History: An Enlightened Legacy

DZ Engineering’s work at Palazzo Guiccioli represents an act of cultural enhancement, where lighting is transformed into a narrative tool. DZE’s expertise in artistic illumination has enabled the professional and efficient execution of this project.

The Palace is poised to become a must-see destination in the Ravenna cultural landscape, and it’s no surprise that prominent personalities in art, journalism, and politics have been visiting recently to admire the beauty of these exhibitions.

For further information on the Byron Museum and the Risorgimento Museum, please visit the official website of Palazzo Guiccioli.