An enchanting labyrinth of towers, monumental staircases, reception rooms and private quarters that reference different styles. A fairytale palace that evokes mysterious emotions. This is the eclectic Rocchetta Mattei castle, located on the Northern Apennine Mountains and named after Count Cesare Mattei, who had it built in the 19th century on the ruins of the 13th-century Rocca di Savignano.

It is an architectural wonder, designed to complement Count Mattei’s eccentric character and personality, in a multifaceted symphony of open and closed spaces that were conceived as an alternative to everyday life, a very personal escape from the industrial city of the late 1800s. The spaces are interpreted in a style that aims to be neo-mediaeval, but does not reject Moorish inspiration, and fiery Florentine, neo-romantic, Arab and Slavic influences.

The lighting design, entrusted to architect and lighting designer Beatrice Ferrieri, was developed with the aim of using light to guide, orient and enrapture visitors to this monumental maze of spaces that communicate with each other in a most unusual manner.

Inside the chapel room, Arabic Islamic elements, such as the arches inspired by those of the Mezquita in Cordova, interact with elements of the Italian mediaeval architectural tradition. Positioned on perforated brackets, compact Spot 1.0 projectors, with 3000K light and 40° optics, highlight the room’s sumptuous details, enhancing the various theatrical effects charged with multiple meanings, Rocchetta Mattei’s true stylistic hallmark.