A year after the completion of the restoration, the Limonaia garden at the Archbishop’s Palace in Pisa is preparing for a new opening.

On Friday 20 March at 6.00 pm, the Opera della Primaziale Pisana will unveil the new architectural lighting system at a ceremony open to the public.

The event will begin in the Auditorium of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana in Piazza Arcivescovado with official addresses by the President of the Opera, Andrea Maestrelli, His Excellency Father Saverio Cannistrà, Archbishop of Pisa, and the Mayor of Pisa, Michele Conti. Following this, Roberto Cela, Technical Director of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, will outline the technical and conceptual aspects of the lighting project. At 6.30 pm, the ceremony will move to the Limonaia for the most eagerly awaited moment: the official switching on of the system, accompanied by a musical performance by the Pisa Cathedral Choir.

The new lighting system forms part of the extensive restoration work that began in 2025 with the restoration of the Giardino della Limonaia, a space of rare beauty, designed in the Italianate style and created at the end of the 18th century at the behest of Archbishop Angelo Franceschi. A place that had suffered a long period of neglect and damage from the bombing of the Second World War, and which, since last year, thanks to a philologically careful restoration, has regained its place within the city’s historical fabric. The garden also serves as the entrance to the Diocesan Historical Archive: a threshold, therefore, not only architectural but also of memory. With the new architectural lighting, this enhancement project takes a further step forward: the Limonaia Garden can now be appreciated in the evening hours as well, with a visual presentation that highlights its volumes and decorative details