Convento di S.Francesco
The restoration of the former Convent of S.Francesco is a collective work of architects, engineers, lighting designers, Local Administration and Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. The ambitious project was born from the will of the the Mayor of little community of Cuccaro Vetere, in the province of Salerno, to create a place able of accommodating tourist flows that gravitate in the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni areas and consequently increase the local economy.
The building, recovered and rebuilt in its original volumes, represents an important center of national and international cultural attraction. It hosts a hotel, a conference room and large spaces for various events.
During the planning phase, much attention was paid to the structural consolidation and the lighting system of the complex. For both, the main idea was the respect and enhancement of the existing parts with recognizable modern additions that dialogue in continuity with the ancient structure at the same time. The use of contemporary materials and techniques for reconstruction are distinguishable and emphasize the pre-existences by raising them to covered archaeological finds.
If on the one hand the recovery of the volumes and surfaces of the complex represented a decisive constraint in the project, on the other hand it was necessary to give this place a dynamic, versatile and strictly functional spirit, due to the different needs of uses. For this reason, the lighting project had a dual purpose: to give light to the restored monument re- creating the daily paths made by the monks and, in addition, to be able to be a place of accommodation and hospitality for the guests of the structure.
