From December 7, 2024, to January 6, 2025, the city of Savona gears up to deliver a unique festive atmosphere. The city brightens up with an artistic lighting project involving local merchants and artisans, aiming to create a welcoming and lively environment throughout the holidays.
To conclude the year, Savona will host the traditional Chiabrera Concert and the New Year’s Eve celebration in the square, events set to attract both residents and visitors.
This period offers an extended opportunity to explore the city and enjoy a multitude of experiences. The festivities kick off on December 7 with the lighting of the Christmas tree. This symbolic moment will be accompanied by performances from the DNA Music School and the Pro Art dance school. Additionally, traditional music performances at the Civic Art Gallery will enhance the cultural offerings.
During these weeks, Savona invites everyone to experience a blend of shopping, music, and art. These Christmas and New Year initiatives are part of Savona’s bid to become the Italian Capital of Culture, a recognition that highlights the city’s commitment to enhancing its cultural heritage.
Lighting 4 Savona
The “Lighting 4 Savona” project emerges as an innovative initiative that illuminates the city scenographically, highlighting monuments and iconic places with a unique immersive experience. As part of Savona’s bid for the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2027, the city transforms its streets and monuments into pieces of urban art during the holiday season, using sustainable and energy-efficient technologies.
Developed by the communication agency Condiviso.coop in collaboration with lighting designer Stefania Toro, the project projects light textures inspired by the typical white and blue ceramics of Savona onto historical buildings and key areas of the city. Key locations on this light journey include Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Mameli, the Torre Leon Pancaldo (known as La Torretta), Piazza Pertini, and the Civic Art Gallery in Piazza Chabrol. Each site is characterized by a guiding keyword.
In Piazza del Popolo, the keyword is PARTICIPATION, highlighted by dramatic lighting of the trees from the base upwards. In Piazza Mameli, the theme is MEMORY, focusing on the War Memorial, which is illuminated at 6 PM with a dedicated and dynamic lighting synchronized with the 21 bell tolls, leaving a poetic glow until midnight.
La Torretta is linked to IDENTITY, illuminated on three sides with light textures created by illustrator Cristiano Ghirlanda of Condiviso.coop, inspired by the typical Albisola ceramics. In Piazza Pertini, the theme is ROOTS, where a beam of light highlights the inscription on a building facade “Culture=Capital”.
Finally, in Chabrol Square, the theme of ART culminates the journey with a captivating display, featuring projections of luminous paintings on the facade of the Pinacoteca. These are inspired by the figurative art of Albisola ceramics, using the same technique as the projections on the Torretta, creating a cohesive thread among the city’s installations.
The Cultural assessore Nicoletta Negro states that “our candidacy for the Italian Capital of Culture has prompted us to rethink how to enhance our monuments, a concept we wanted to bring to life during the Christmas season. This is a bespoke project for Savona, truly unique in Italy, and we aim to expand it each year.” Negro emphasizes the importance of enlisting Stefania Toro, a seasoned expert, to guide the city through this new venture. “To simply call them Christmas lights would be limiting; they could be showcased at any time of the year,” she adds, highlighting the goal of identifying the city’s iconic structures and bringing the artworks housed in the museums to the forefront through an imaginative and engaging play of reflections.
The 3D tree and the urban coordination project in Savona
In Savona, the Christmas lighting project aligns with the graphic identity of the city’s bid for Italian Capital of Culture 2027. The chosen colors, white and cobalt blue, evoke the tradition of Savona ceramics and are also featured in the 3D LED Christmas tree in Piazza Sisto IV, which stands 12 meters tall with a modern, energy-efficient design. The tree lighting is scheduled for Saturday, December 7th, accompanied by an afternoon of music and dance starting at 4 PM.
As part of the Lighting 4 Savona project, the administration collaborated with trade associations like Confcommercio, Confesercenti, and Confartigianato, engaging over 350 merchants and artisans to harmonize the light decorations across the city’s streets. Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Commerce, Elisa Di Padova, emphasized: “Given the energy and enthusiasm observed, the administration has decided, for the first time, to contribute to ensure the project’s success.”
The project also involved street trade associations, highlighting the importance of synergy among different commercial types. Alessandra Cirio, representative for Confartigianato Savona, pointed out the teamwork: “Together with other associations, a thorough team effort was made across the city for these celebrations like never before.”
Thanks to the collaboration between trade associations, the Municipality, and local merchants, a significant portion of the city will be illuminated in a harmonious and scenic manner. Erika Portabene, representative of Confesercenti Savona, expresses her satisfaction: “Thanks to the tremendous team effort, much of the city will be illuminated in a harmonious and scenic way.”
Laura Chiara Filippi, from Confcommercio Savona, emphasizes the project’s importance as a unifying moment among associations: “We have worked together with the city’s merchants and artisans to achieve the ambitious goal of illuminating our city as much as possible.”
Iren also supports the event as part of a broader strategy to foster local communities’ development. Additionally, with the involvement of the Port System Authority, the Darsena bridge will be illuminated for the Christmas festivities.
These initiatives are part of the Christmas 2024 program, which includes year-end concerts and an exhibition at the Ceramics Museum. Immersive experiences, shopping, music, and art will be at the heart of the celebrations, complemented by a digital campaign to promote the city as a tourist destination.