The Jesuit College in Fidenza was built in the late 17 century (1697 – 1711) at the behest of the Duke, Francesco Farnese. The building accommodated up to 300 students. In 1768, the prime minister Guillaume du Tillot ordered the removal of the Jesuits from the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. They came back to the historic building in 1792 but their permanent expulsion came just a few years later, as a result of decrees by Napoleon in 1806, which suppressed religious orders. Throughout the centuries, the building became a hospice for beggars, a military hospital, a nursing home and finally, part of the facility was the site of offices of various associations. The whole complex will become the SIGERICO European Cultural Center, an opportunity for the building’s redevelopment and reuse, with spaces to accommodate tourists, a city museum dedicated to the Via Francigena, and a school for educational and training activities for young European students. The large building is structured around three adjoining courtyards. The long façade is characterized by a number of large windows with cornices, placed at regular intervals. Inside, the rooms, which were originally divided based on the various college functions, are distributed and connected by long wide corridors, covered by barrel vaults with lunettes. The complex and articulate architecture led to a lighting design choice that conceals the LED sources in the architectural details, integrating the lighting design with the architectural project while creating indirect diffused lighting. In the exhibition rooms, the indirect light will be dynamic and versatile, suitable for all scenarios, with the use of linear and track-mounted devices. To ensure a comfortable atmosphere in the accommodation spaces, the light will be focused and dynamic, meeting the needs that arise. In the music room, the light will be diffused by suspensions. These design choices allow respect and usability for all the activities that take place in the building.
Team members:
Canali Associati – Del Boca Partners
Photo courtesy:
Marco Petrucci
