F-Light 2018: Florence Light Festival Expands Across City with Leonardo Tribute

The 2018 edition of F-light, Florence's Christmas light festival, runs from December 20 to Epiphany, expanding beyond the historic center to all five city districts. Organized by Mus.e and promoted by the Comune di Firenze, the festival features artist-designed illuminations at sites including the Museo Novecento, Mercato Centrale, Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine, and city gates and towers. A new 20-meter cone-shaped tree in Piazza Santa Maria Novella, funded by four hotels, alternates colored rosettes referencing the basilica's facade. The festival celebrates Leonardo da Vinci, with video mapping on Ponte Vecchio analyzing his artistic and scientific work, and a digital immersive exhibition in Palazzo Vecchio's Sala d'Armi. At Palazzo Medici Riccardi, a new permanent lighting facade on Via Cavour joins interventions in the Cortile di Michelozzo and Giardino Mediceo by ISIA designers. Family programs include torch-lit visits to Museo Bardini, Cappella Brancacci, and Palazzo Medici Riccardi. A permanent LED lighting system for Basilica di San Miniato, marking its millennium, features 17 adjustable fixtures by SILFIspa and the Comune di Firenze, with a three-minute dynamic light show during the festival. On December 14, Piazza Santissima Annunziata will debut new lighting enhancing the loggia, basilica, and the Equestrian Statue of Ferdinando I de' Medici. Artistic director Sergio Risaliti emphasized creativity, experimentation, and innovation inspired by Leonardo's genius.