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Lighting Concept for the Forum Romanum

April 21, 2016

The archaeological heart of Rome has been fitted with 450 LED lights that will illuminate the ancient ruins in a very complex and precise way.

https://p.dw.com/p/1Ia82
Italien Geschichte Antike Forum Romanum in Rom
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

Rome's Archaeology Superintendent, Francesco Prosperetti said, in Italian media, that the different colored lights would show off aspects of the 2,000-year-old buildings in a way that daylight could not.

The new lighting will be unveiled on Thursday (21 April) as part of celebrations to mark the anniversary of the founding of Rome. The Forum Romanum will open every Friday from 8pm to midnight for guided group tours.

The pillars of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina are to be illuminated in a soft white tone, according to media reports, while the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda will be bathed in a golden glow.

All important buildings lining the Via Sacra from the Arch of Titus to the Arch of Septimius Severus have been integrated into the new lighting concept, which was developed by Rome's Archaeology Department and the Energy company Acea. Inspiration came from the Sixtine Chapel where a German company introduced a new type of lighting in 2014.

Archaeologists say that as well as providing nuanced light tones, LEDs do not generate as much heat as conventional bulbs and are more energy-efficient. The energy used by the floodlights in the Forum will be reduced from 65 kilowatts to 18 kilowatts.

is/jg (kna)