Florence's famed Ponte Vecchio
bridge showed off its new eco-friendly lighting system for the
first time on Monday night.
The new 'green' lighting - a gift from the Stefano Ricci
fashion house to mark the 60th anniversary of the city's Fashion
Centre - was switched on by tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Beforehand, Bocelli delighted the crowd by singing a piece
from Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.
The illuminations were accompanied by an aquatic spectacle
called 'Fous de Bassin' on the Arno beneath the iconic bridge,
performed by the French art troupe Iliotopie and sponsored by
Italian banking giant Unicredit.
There was also a procession featuring people who practice
the famously tough Calcio Fiorentino game, whose origins date
back to the 16th century, and the Tuscan city's Bandierai degli
Uffizi flag-throwing performers.
Other attractions included a floating Fiat 500 and an
artist interpreting Venus as depicted in Sandro Botticelli's
famous painting the Birth of Venus.
Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini, Mayor Dario Nardella and
Premier Matteo Renzi's wife Agnese also took part in the event
on the eve of Florence's Pitti Uomo men's fashion fair.
Renzi is a Florence native and was mayor of the city until
he became premier in February.
The new lighting system cost over 400,000 euros.
It is made up of 102 LEDs for the internal part of the
bridge, plus 16 LED-lit structures for the exterior.
The system will reduce the energy needed to light the
bridge by 79.33%, saving the city council between 12 and 15
million euros a year.
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