An art made of light
In the heart of southern Italy, when the sun goes down and the sky turns orange, something ancient and surprising happens. The streets, squares, churches and - today - even festivals light up with colours and luminous geometries that seem to tell stories suspended in time. They are the Salento illuminations, one of the most fascinating and iconic popular art forms in the Mediterranean tradition.
Created as festive decorations to accompany religious, patronal and popular events, illuminations have origins dating back to the 18th century, when torches were initially used, then lanterns, and finally electricity. Over time, the art of illuminations has evolved into an aesthetic language of its own, combining ephemeral architecture, design, craftsmanship and technological innovation.
Salento, a land of stone and light, has become the beating heart of this tradition, exporting it all over the world. And it is from here that Mariano Light, the family that has been “capturing the secrets of light” for four generations and transforming cities, events and festivals into unique sensory experiences.
Mariano Light: 125 years of visual magic
Founded in 1898, Mariano Light is the historic Salento-based company that has turned the art of illuminations into a global spectacle. From London neighbourhoods to Tokyo celebrations, from international festivals to contemporary art museums, the Mariano family's creations combine traditional craftsmanship, visual storytelling and cutting-edge LED technology.
Their portfolio is a journey through worlds of light: endless tunnels, temporary cathedrals, kaleidoscopic tunnels, luminous roses blooming in the sky. But each installation stems from a very precise identity: that of the Salento tradition, reinterpreted with a contemporary and visionary gaze.
When music meets light
Since 2024, Panorama Festival has wanted to light becomes part of the sound experience in a peculiar way, finding its own identity, linked to that of the history of the area.. Thus was born the collaboration with Mariano Light, whose light decorations at the festival merged into an unprecedented visual symphony.
The result? A visual identity that made the festival not just a musical event, but an aesthetic and cultural ritual.
Why tell this light?
Talking about illuminations today means reappropriating a visual narrative that combines past and future. In an era of ephemeral and digital experiences, the materiality of Mariano Light's light structures reminds us of the value of craftsmanship, of shared beauty, of an effect that never goes out of fashion.
And for those attending the Panorama Festival, this light is also memoryA meeting point between the roots of the South and the global vibes of club culture. A lantern guiding the footsteps of the night until daybreak.
