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Luci d'Artista: walking Salerno's light festival from the old town
The idea wasn't born in Salerno. "Luci d'Artista" (Artists' Lights) started in Turin in 1998, swapping ordinary Christmas lights for light works designed by artists. Salerno picked up the format in 2006 and has brought it back every winter since, with a new edition each year.
What they actually are
They are light installations created by contemporary artists and organised by the City of Salerno. Each edition follows a different theme, so if you come back after a few years you'll find a new route. There's no entrance gate: the works are out in the streets, squares and gardens, and you simply walk through them.
When to go
The lights usually go on in November and stay on until January. Dates change every year, as does the programme of related events (the city also runs a concert series alongside the lights, called "Musica d'Artista"). Before you travel, check the current calendar and map on the City of Salerno's official event site.
The walking route
The best part is that the old town is already on the route. You don't need a car; on busy evenings it would only get in the way.
- Start near the Cathedral (Duomo). From here the lanes run downhill towards the sea, and you may already spot a few installations tucked between the narrow streets.
- Head down to Largo Campo. It's one of the starting points of the itinerary suggested by Italy's national tourism portal, and from here the lights get denser.
- Carry on along Corso Vittorio Emanuele. This is the pedestrian shopping street, the brightest and busiest stretch. Take it slowly and look up: many works hang above your head.
- Don't skip the Villa Comunale. This public garden on the edge of the old town hosts part of the works every year; the city even closes it for a few days at the end of October to install them.
Allow at least a couple of hours to see it all without rushing, with a stop for something warm along the way.
A few tips from a local
- Pick a weekday evening if you can: on Saturday nights the Corso gets very crowded.
- Wear comfortable shoes: the old town has slopes, steps and stone paving.
- Walk the route twice, once at dusk and once in full darkness: the works look very different.
- Peek into the side lanes: some installations sit away from the main street.
Our B&B is right in the old town, a few steps from the Cathedral: you walk out of the door and you're already on the route.