Tuscany has a long tradition of awareness of and value for cultural landscapes that have been shaped and altered by humanity. The Tuscan landscape itself has been shaped by humans from early in its history and on a monumental scale: the Etruscans built their town and funeral landscapes, the Romans constructed roads and cities, the farmers and rural population cultivated an economy based on olive oil and wine – so it is no surprise that this landscape, so heavily influenced by people, has always attracted the artists of the day to set down their roots here. Even today, collectors, artists, patrons, public funding and artistically minded institutions promote a variety of projects, which form a unique network of artists’ gardens and contemporary collections spanning the region of Tuscany and indeed reaching beyond its borders. The »Giardino di Daniel Spoerri« is a part of this network and, ever since the launch of the non-profit foundation HIC TERMINUS HAERET- Il Giardino di Daniel Spoerri, it has maintained close contacts with the parks and artists’ gardens of the area, among them the »Giardino dei Tarocchi« of Niki de Saint Phalle close to Capalbio and »Il Giardino dei Suoni« by Paul Fuchs near Massa Marittima and the park »la Serpara« by Paul Wiedmer, which lies in Latium. Last but not least, is of course the mannerist »ur-garden« and local model for all of these artistic projects: »The Sacred Grove of Bomarzo« (or »Il parco die mostri«) near Viterbo.
Sculpture parks and gardens in the local area
La Serpara
»LA SERPARA« – Giardino di Paul Wiedmer
The Italian sculpture park La Serpara nestled in the hilly landscape around Orvieto is a real insider’s tip. It was created with visitors in mind, but it’s not obtrusive: it’s a park that requires active discovery by its visitors. The Swiss artist Paul Wiedmer (*1947) founded the park in 1997. Wiedmer worked as an assistant to Jean Tinguely, Bernhard Luginbühl and Niki de Saint Phalle before he developed his own iron sculptures, frequently monumental and combined with fire. La Serpara grows from year to year thanks to the inclusion of new works by Paul Wiedmer as well as the exhibitions and permanent loans of specially invited artists with whom he is closely acquainted: Thomas Baumgärtel, Albert Braun, Bruno Ceccobelli, Res Ingold, Wilhelm Koch, Daniel Kufner, Graziano Marini, M.S. Bastian / Isabelle L., Attilio Pierelli, Reini Rühlin, Pavel Schmidt, Ursula Stalder, Daniel Spoerri, Daniel Braeg, Rita Rohlfin.
Contact:
»LA SERPARA« – Giardino di Paul Wiedmer
Civitella d’Agliano, 01020 VT / Italy
tel. +39 0761914071
Bomarzo
»SACRO BOSCO« di Bomarzo
The »Sacro Bosco« (»The Sacred Grove of Bomarzo«), also known as the »Park of Monsters« (»Parco dei Mostri«), is a mannerist park filled with grotesque monumental sculptures and strange architecture. It is located in a small, wooded valley around two kilometres outside the town of Bomarzo in the central Italian province Viterbo, on the northern edge of Latium. Vicino Orsini, the last feudal lord of Bomarzo, dreamed up this sculptural wood and dedicated it to his late wife, Giulia Farnese. For over 30 years, the nobleman employed several artists to sculpt huge figures into the volcanic rock, had a wonky house and other strange buildings erected and inscribed with mysterious aphorisms.
After the death of its progenitor Vicino Orsini in 1585, the garden faded into obscurity until it was rediscovered in the 1930s by such artists as Salvador Dali. However, both at the time of its creation and of its rediscovery, the Sacro Bosco provided much speculation from surrealist and from mannerist quarters.
Contact:
»SACRO BOSCO« di Bomarzo
»Parco dei Mostri« (on the signs)
Loc. Giardino (Via Madonna della Valle n°101)
01020 Bomarzo, Viterbo
tel. +39 0761/924029
Il Giardino dei Tarocchi
»IL GIARDINO DIE TAROCCHI« by Niki de Saint Phalle
The fantastical sculpture garden of the artists Niki de Saint Phalle enchants artistically minded adults as well as children and teenagers. The French-born artist who died in 2002 began designing her Tarot Garden in the late 1970s. Right up to her death, she worked together with her husband Jean Tinguely and a multitude of assistants on this wonderful, esoteric and monumental Gesamtkunstwerk. The garden was opened in 1998. Niki de Saint Phalle’s Tarot Garden is nestled in the gently rolling hills of Maremma, in the small locality of Capalbio, Grosseto province.
Contact:
»IL GIARDINO DIE TAROCCHI« by Niki de Saint Phalle
Fondazione »Il Giardino dei Tarocchi«
Garavicchio – Capalbio, Grosseto
tel. 0564 895122
Fax 0564 895700
Il Giardino di Suoni
»IL GIARDINO DI SUONI« by Paul Fuchs
»Il Giardino die Suoni« is a 2-hectare park surrounding the studio-home of the German artist Paul Fuchs, who has been inviting visitors to discover his works since 1996. Some of the works of the »Garden of Sounds« are cut from stone, others from wood, but the majority are made from copper, iron, bronze and other metals. The pieces are arranged by Paul Fuchs in such a way that the produce different sounds depending on how the wind is blowing. The poetry of the sounds that are produced and the lightness of the metal installations are a surprising combination in this ancient landscape. The »Garden of Sounds« is located in Boccheggiano, a small village in the municipality of Montieri (the first town of Maremma to join the Kingdom of Italy), itself located within a region of metal-rich hills.
Contact:
»IL GIARDINO DI SUONI« by Paul Fuchs
Podere Pianuglioli
Boccheggiano, Montieri – Grosseto
tel. 0566 998221
