The “Basilica of S. Croce” (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is, after the Duomo, the most important and popular church in the city of Florence. On its walls and chapels there is an exceptional concentration of works of art. The Franciscans wanted art to serve as a means to spread the truths of the faith in the simplest and most persuasive way. For this reason, the surfaces of the church are covered by more than two thirds with frescoes, since the fresco was, at that time, the most economical and effective tool to achieve that result.
One of the most remarkable chapels of the Basilica of S. Croce is the Bardi di Vernio Chapel. Its walls and vault are entirely covered by a magnificent cycle of paintings by Maso di Banco, with the Stories of St. Sylvester.
For the illumination of the chapel, a thin suspension element has been designed, with a battery of small adjustable projectors for dichroic halogen lamps placed inside, which allow it to completely illuminate the walls and the vault, remaining invisible on the outside. The luminaire is suspended from the central hook of the access arch to the chapel and is inserted in the suspension bar of the existing antique lantern, by which it is completely camouflaged.