The Luminara of San Ranieri (Pisa vernucalar for Luminaria) is a town festival held in Pisa on the evening of June 16th of each year, on the eve of San Ranieri, the patron of the city.
On march 25, 1688, in the chapel of Duomo of Pisa was solemnly placed the urn containing the body of Ranieri degli scaccieri, Patron of the city, who died in holiness in 1161. Cosimo III de Medici had in fact that the ancient urn containing the relic was replaced by a more modern and brilliant.
The translation of the urn was the occasion for a memorable city part , from which, according to tradition, began the three years illumination of Pisa, which was first called Luminaria and then, in the 19th century, Luminara.
The event of Luminara have consistenly followed those of the city. Abolished in 1867, it was restored in 1937 when the bridge game was resumed and suspended during World War II. The luminara returned to the San Ranieri feast of 1952 and the tradition lasted until 1966. In novembe of that year , the violence of the flood caused the collapse of the Solferino bridge and long stretches of the Lungarno. There was therefore a new interruption of Luminara, which was resumed in 1969.
Every year about 100.000 lumens are placed on wooden frames that design the archictetural shape of Lungarni churches, palaces and towers.
The evening is completed by a series of fireworks fired around eleven by the citadel and in recent years also by some floating platforms placed on the Arno river creating the the luminiscent flames placed on the Lungarni buildings a unique scenery.
