carlo cafferini photographs secret codes of luminara di san ranieri

carlo cafferini photographs secret codes of luminara di san ranieri
all images © carlo cafferini

it’s june, and the residents of pisa, italy are diligently and excitedly preparing for the evening of june 16th. the evening marks the beginning of a two day celebration of san ranieri, the city’s patron saint. while the celebrations on the 17th are typically the focus of attention, preparations for the festive day began weeks before.

the decorations were captured by photographer carlo cafferini 

hundreds of white wooden boards, biancherie in italian, are hung from windows and doors of homes. originally, the pieces would mimic the architectural style and structure of the residence; now, many have taken on different shapes, more curious than their conventional counterparts. on the night of the 16th, the forms are adorned with thousands of candles in the ‘luminara di san ranieri’. from dusk to dawn, the lungarni — sides of the river arno — are enlightened only by the flickering light of the tiny lamps.

more conventional board style

italian photographer carlo cafferini created ‘secret code’ to explore the countless renditions presented this year. the name was chosen for the secret language that the decorations seem to have with one another. hanging on windows and doors, the strange patterns look like a mysterious mix of signs and symbols, just waiting to be deciphered. 

window shapes 

residential façade 

the luminara is held every year on the evening of june, 16th 

originally, the boards closely mimicked the structure’s physical elements 

curious shapes in pisa

triangle adornments 

chevrons 

a single, smiling band 

signs adorned with candles 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.