Appeal Against the Light Beam at Sacra di San Michele

In September 2026 the Stazione Teriologica Piemontese, based at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Carmagnola, formally requests the suspension of a high-intensity light beam projected five kilometres into the night sky above the Val di Susa. The installation, located at the Sacra di San Michele, is conceived as a symbolic reference to the legendary sword of the Archangel Michael.[1]

The Report

Raising the issue is Elena Patriarca, an expert at the Stazione Teriologica Piemontese, who releases a press statement focused not on the symbolic meaning of the work but on its possible effects on the local ecosystem. According to the researcher, the light beam could divert the flight paths of moths and other migrating nocturnal insects, drawing them toward the light source and exposing them to the risk of death by burning or entrapment.[1]

The Scientific Grounds

The text cites the scientific literature on the global decline of insect populations, essential for pollination and the food chain, referring in particular to the 2019 study "Predicting a global insect apocalypse" by Cardoso and Leather. It also notes that September coincides with the nocturnal migration phase of several bird species, which could be disoriented by high-intensity light beams.[1]

The Regulatory Framework and Reactions

The statement also points to the beam's possible non-compliance with laws on light pollution containment and wildlife protection. The document from the Stazione Teriologica does not, however, include quantitative data or direct measurements taken in the field while the beam was switched on. At the time the appeal was released, no response or technical assessment had come from the monument's managing body or the relevant authorities, and the controversy remains open pending further study of the installation's actual environmental impact.[1]

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Sources

CronacaQui Torino — 19 September 2026

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