VENICE – Napoleon called it “the drawing room of Europe,” but Piazza San Marco is much more than that. For centuries, this 12,128 m2 trapezoidal space bordering the Bay of San Marco has been an enchanted spot of beauty and inspiration that has worked its magic on poets, artists, dreamers, and, of course, millions of tourists, from around the world.

On July 5th and 6th, the beloved piazza, which is known as St. Mark’s Square in English, glowed with a special, and very brilliant light that captivated the large crowds that turned out to see Pooh, as the Italian pop icons performed the first two shows of their 22-date Amici x Sempre Estate 2024 tour.

Pooh’s longtime lighting designer, Francesco De Cave specified 100 CHAUVET Professional Maverick Storm 3 BeamWashes for these momentous shows. Supplied by ZAlight and installed by Agorà, the fully-featured IP65 hybrid fixtures supported the artists on stage, in addition to accenting the beauty of the Doge Palace, Campanile di San Marco, Basilica and other structures that contributed to the breathtaking scenography at the concert site.

De Cave valued the “power and colorimetric versatility” of the Maverick Storm 3 BeamWash. Using soft shades of richly rendered colors, he was able to endow the piazza’s historic setting with a dramatic element without distracting from the architectural integrity of its buildings.

At times throughout the show, De Cave used monochromatic color patterns, such as all-reds or all-blues, to create an embracive, immersive effect throughout the piazza that not only enhanced the aesthetics of the surroundings, but also matched the mood of Pooh’s emotional music.

De Cave also changed looks by lighting the setting in different color combinations, generally limiting his palette to two complementary hues at a time. The tight zoom range of his Maverick Storm 3 hybrids (down to 3.9 degrees), gave him the ability to focus his colorful lighting with great precision.

The high output of the fixtures (over 18,500 lumens) made it possible for De Cave to create vivid looks even early in the show, when there was still ambient light in the area. And of course, given Venice’s location in a lagoon, the IP65 rating of the Maverick Storm 3 BeamWash was deeply appreciated.

On the nights of the Pooh concerts, though, there was no rain, and the temperature both evenings was a comfortable 28-29°C. All-in-all, a perfect setting to enjoy a deeply moving concert in one of the world’s most iconic and unique settings, artistically illuminated by a gifted designer in colorful light.

Photo Credit: Silvia Colombo
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