The Chianti Sculpture Park: a walk to immerse yourself in contemporary art and nature

If I mention Chianti, what comes to your mind? Half of you will immediately think of wine, while the remainder will be split between hills, villages and farmhouses! We certainly cannot blame you, but there is more to it than just that. Chianti has a beautiful and equally unexpected surprise in store for you: a charming park in the woods dotted with interesting installations of contemporary art!

We are 10 km from Siena and precisely in Pievasciata, which has deservedly been awarded the title of Village of Contemporary Art. In fact, arriving from Gaiole, Pianella or Vagliagli, in addition to the wonderful scenery, you will admire some artworks located in the surroundings of the town and along the road. The titles of some sculptures say a lot about the inspiration of the artists: 'Chianti classico', 'The colors of Chianti', 'Warhol in Chianti'! Yes, in short, when you thought of the wine you were not greatly mistaken!

Once you enter the park you can admire installations by artists from 26 different countries. The seven-hectare park was conceived, designed and built by Piero and Rosalba Gradossi and opened to the public in 2004. As with Villa di Celle in Pistoia and the Tarot Garden of Capalbio, these are 'site specific' installations, i.e. they were created specifically for the space chosen to host them.

You can admire, for example, the marvellous marble 'Amphitheater' where 'en plein air' concerts are held every Tuesday in the summer: watching them surrounded by the statues of Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini, Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin is a fantastic feeling!

You will also find a peculiar cypress tree and discover that it is a glass sculpture by the Greek artist Costas Varotsos which is called 'Energy'. The iron web and the sad figure of a woman, titled 'Faith and Illusion', by Dolorosa Sinaga, an Indonesian artist, will put you in a pondering mood.

A decidedly more joyful and colourful work is "Broken Rainbow", designed by the artist Federica Marangoni to express the fragility of nature. You will be kids again seeing half a rainbow.. and the other half broken on the ground in a thousand coloured pieces.

Yes, Chianti is really a fantastic land and this park is another precious stone in its rich treasure chest of beautiful sights. Do you want to discover them all? No problem, take part in our Chianti tours and this wonderful area of Tuscany will hide no secrets for you!