For over three centuries, Mantua was a political centre of international stature, the seat of one of Europe most magnificent courts ... Light plays a crucial role in the works underway for the requalification of the historical city centre that are being carried out in stage. Two initial projects have been defined in connection with the great exhibit “Gonzaga the celestial Gallery”, inaugurated in Fall 2002: Palazzo Te and Castel San Giorgio. The technical lighting intervention encompassed the Courtyard of the Exhibition, the Camminamento, the Loggia Eleonora, the Appartamento Grande, the Castle, protected by a ditch and delimited by a grassy incline. The floodlights used have symmetrical/asymmetrical lens, metal iodide light sources with ceramic burner, different power ratings (70/150W), controlled light beam, excellent chromatic effects. Artfully positioned elements (special glass, refractors,, diffusion grids) contribute to the composition and control of light level values, achieving naturally “soft” and gentle chiaroscuro effects. Most of them are hidden from sight: placed in the inner part of the Walk, in the columns of the Loggia, inside the ditch to illuminate the Castle. A totem, supporting two asymmetrical beam floodlights, has been installed in the hedge in front of the complex and illuminates the structure of the Appartamento Grande. (FLARE n° 33, september 2003)