Caravaggio created this masterpiece in the church dedicated to the patron saints of France during 1599-1600.

“It’s a true, full-blown resurrection,” said Brother Renaud Escande, administrator of the Pious Establishments of France in Rome and Loreto, who acts under the aegis of the French embassy.

The illumination will be inaugurated Tuesday night by the organ concert Harmonies Romaines with music by Vivaldi, Bach and Handel, among others.

The concert will also be enhanced by the voice of the artist Jean-Christophe Clair, the organist Gabriele Agrimonti and a speech by Marco Frascarolo, lighting designer, engineer and university professor.

Frascarolo, with his studio Fabertechnica, has overseen, among others, the project for the new lighting of the Sistine Chapel, the Basilica of San Francis in Assisi and some of the installations of the recent Trame di Luce Festival at the Botanical Gardens of Rome.

“Following the fire at Notre Dame in Paris,” Fra Renaud explained to ANSA, “we completely redid the church’s fire safety system, an ideal opportunity to rethink its lighting.

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“For this ambitious project, we turned to the talented artist Marco Frascarolo, whose vision has allowed us to rediscover the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in all its magnificence, beyond the famous paintings of Caravaggio.

“Thanks to this new staging, the church reveals details that were once hidden, enhancing every corner of its architecture and its artistic wonders.

“The sculptures, previously in the shadows, now emerge with surprising clarity, highlighting their expressiveness and the finesse of their execution.

“The vaults and columns, perfectly lit, underline the majesty of the building, while the play of light accentuates the subtleties of the architectural forms.

“The result is a true resurrection.

“This project embodies an exceptional collaboration between France and Italy, enhancing the richness of a common heritage.”

Of the three works that are a high point of Western art and Caravaggio’s trademark chiaroscuro technique, perhaps the most celebrated is The Calling of Saint Matthew, depicting the moment Jesus Christ calls on the tax collector Matthew to follow him.

It was completed in 1599-1600 for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of the French congregation, San Luigi dei Francesi.

It hangs alongside the two other paintings of Matthew by Caravaggio: The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (painted around the same time as The Calling) and The Inspiration of Saint Matthew (1602).

ANSA