American art collector and world traveler Eli Portnoy reminded me to make time this summer for a visit at the Chianti Sculpture Park. Here's why (in Eli's words):
Italian family friends from Venice
introduced me a few weeks ago to the Sculpture Park and Performance Center of
Chianti in the small town of Pievasciata 8 miles north of Siena. A true cultural
gem not well known apart from a few European tourists and Tuscan locals. It’s a bit
off the beaten track (part of the road is actually dirt), but I was delighted by
what was at the end of the drive.
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Glass Labyrinth at Chianti Sculpture Park |
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Glass and Neon Rainbow |
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"Energy" - one of the interactive sculptures at the park |
A highlight is the amphitheater sculpture that is both art work and performance space for live concerts (that are held throughout the summer months). The theater set into the hillside has metal sculptural “celebrities” worked into the seating area. So imagine watching an opera performance and sitting next to Alfred Hitchcock! A must see work.
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Hitchcock getting a private view at the park's amphitheater |
Husband and wife art collectors Piero and
Rosalba Giadrossi built the park as well as turned a local tile factory just
down the drive into their home, smaller art gallery space and museum store
perched on a hilltop with glorious views of Chianti vineyards.
I had a splendid private tour with the
highly knowledgeable and very passionate art patron Piero but there are other
knowledgeable docents available for tours everyday. Wine tastings can be
arranged at the facility with advanced notice but I highly recommended checking
out the performance schedule and visiting both the park and taking in a live
performance if possible.
Phone: +39 0577 357151
Directions: http://www.chiantisculpturepark.it/en-index.htm
Hours: 10am to sunset daily (summer)
Fees: 7.5 Euros for the park, 15 Euros for
the park and concert
Thank you Eli!
Got a soft spot for sculptures parks too? Tuscany's beautiful landscape has besotted many a talented artist: Niki the Saint Phalle's Tarot Garden in Capalbio, Daniel Spoerri's Sculpture Garden in Seggiano, and San Giovanni d'Asso's Bosco delle Ragnaie, to name but a few art pit stops that lie along the way through the Tuscan hills.
Got a soft spot for sculptures parks too? Tuscany's beautiful landscape has besotted many a talented artist: Niki the Saint Phalle's Tarot Garden in Capalbio, Daniel Spoerri's Sculpture Garden in Seggiano, and San Giovanni d'Asso's Bosco delle Ragnaie, to name but a few art pit stops that lie along the way through the Tuscan hills.