We restored and reproduced for the city of Palermo several cast iron lamp posts that contribute to make their surroundings unique.
Palermo, Italy
2018
Municipality of Palermo
Antonio Neri
Fondazione Neri – Museo Italiano della Ghisa
The city of Palermo has preserved a vast heritage of original cast iron lamp posts. We restored the four posts in Piazza San Domenico; reproduced the 1920s posts designed by Liberty artist, Ernesto Basile; and restored and reproduced the posts surrounding the Renaissance Fountain in Piazza Pretoria.
The project is still ongoing: the last intervention in 2018 took place outside the train station and the famous botanic garden. Most of the city has now gradually returned to using this type of lamp post, from Viale Roma and Via della Libertà to Teatro Massimo and Porta Felice.
One of the most famous locations in Palermo is Piazza Pretoria, with its monumental 16th century fountain. The lamp posts that surround it are a unique model, found only here and at the Monreale Cathedral just a few kilometres from Palermo. We restored and brought them back to their former splendour.
Our Light 801 lantern lights many streets and alleys of Palermo’s historic centre, which is gradually being revived with careful architectural restorations that make it even more interesting and pleasant to experience by night.
The historic Palermo, where heritage products and restoration interventions are extensive, co-exists with the contemporary one where posts from Saiph collection have been installed with ‘Light 34’.
Read about other projects
Lighting Restoration in Martina Franca
For Neri, restoration means giving continuity to the identity of a place — as in the historic center of Martina Franca, where the redevelopment of public lighting helped enhance its most authentic elements. The 270 historic wrought-iron lanterns, which have lit up alleys and squares for decades, were dismantled, sandblasted, repaired where damaged, and repainted. Original decorative features were preserved and highlighted, while irreparable structural elements were faithfully reconstructed. To ensure visual and functional consistency, 298 new lanterns identical to the originals were also produced. A similar restoration was carried out on the 12 lanterns of the main square, characterized by unique dimensions and ornamentation. The project also included the integration of LED technology, replacing the old light sources, and the removal of opaque glass panels — improving both energy efficiency and light quality.
New Light for the Porticoes of Bologna
The Pavaglione portico, part of Bologna’s portico system recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the focus of a redevelopment project led by Studio I-DEA, within which Neri completely restored the historic chandeliers, now equipped with LED technology to ensure greater efficiency and safety. The intervention involved a thorough conservative restoration: cleaning, structural reinforcement of the metal sheets, gold painting as per the original finish, and a new fastening system for the glass parts, now also protected by a transparent safety film. A precise and respectful work that brings to light Bologna’s historical identity and demonstrates how light can also be a tool for heritage preservation.
Polis: Contemporary Light for Pistoia
Pistoia regains a new identity thanks to the lighting redevelopment project carried out by Hera. The intervention selected Polis as a key element: a lighting fixture designed to blend elegantly and discreetly into the most delicate urban settings, replacing old systems with high-efficiency LED solutions. Its sober design – simple, flat, and circular in shape – naturally integrates into the urban fabric, enhancing public spaces and the surrounding environment without altering their historical identity. The project focuses on balancing aesthetics and performance: construction quality, LED technology, and attention to the context combine to create a more welcoming and safer urban environment, even at night.