The old church of San Bartolomeo in Castel Rigone was in need of renovation and was not accessible for decades.

Only the oldest inhabitants of the place could remember that it was used when they were still young.

Many inhabitants of Castel Rigone had never seen the church from the inside.

About five years ago, I do not remember the exact date, the first restoration work was done in the church.

As far as I know, the local priest, Don Francesco, paid them out of his own pocket.

This made the church accessible for the first time, but still it remained closed except for a few-day exhibition by a painter from Perugia two years ago.

I was interested in doing an exhibition in this church and knocked at open doors with Don Francesco.

However, there were a few hurdles to overcome.

First the figures of the local nativity scene were stored in the church. Something even the priest hadn´t known when he gave his consent to the exhibition.

And we're not talking about a small Christmas crib that you put into the living room, but about life-size figures and accessories.

For a start I stowed all this  behind the altar with the help of my daughter.

Fortunately the altar is so large that it almost fills the view of the entire apse behind it.

The remaining spaces on the sides we closed with white plastic panels, which we also found in the church.

Second, there was no real lighting in the church. Three light bulbs and that was that.

Some sort of gallery-like lighting was out of the question, - not really good for my translucent sculptures.

We solved the problem reasonably satisfactorily by placing spotlights next to some of the sculptures  and by placing some of the sculptures in such a way that they were illuminated by the streaks of light coming from the open doors and the few windows.

Of course, the church still had to undergo a thorough cleaning. Anyone who knows the spider scene in the movie "The Hobbit" has an idea of what was coming up.

The entrance to the exhibition - the old church is open again after a long time.

Aurora our younger daughter enjoying herself at the entrance of the church. Our daughters kept the exhibition open, when I had no time.

A look at the exhibition from the main entrance towards the altar

View from the exhibition to the valley below Castel Rigone on one of the rare rainy evenings

My sculpture "Swan Lake" in the exhibition in Castel Rigone.

The picture was taken on the same rainy day when I also took the picture above.

The amazing light effect with the deep blue window was probably caused by a refraction of the raindrops on the old glass.

On the side altar, opposite Swan Lake, the relief "Eolos"

A bird of paradise has settled down in a niche above the old baptistry.

For the friends of mystical ornithology here a close-up of the shy bird.

And for the friends of music a lyra made from marble

The view from the church door shortly after sunset. These are the colours and lights that inspire me.