CASATO PRIME DONNE A BRUNELLO WINERY AND MUCH MORE (2)

CASATO PRIME DONNE A BRUNELLO WINERY AND MUCH MORE (2)

THE ARTWORKS AND DEDICATIONS ALONG THE PRIME DONNE TRAIL TRANSFORM THE WINERY VISIT AND VINEYARD TREK INTO AN ENRICHING AND REJUVENATING EXPERIENCE

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

 

2012 “ARDITA” BY MARCO PIGNATTAI

Ardita depicts a life-sized Chianina ox—a historic animal of this land, where it once toiled pulling the very same plough the artist has placed behind the sculpture. The ox is crafted from a mirrored steel silhouette that reflects the surrounding countryside, appearing almost to become part of it. It stands beside the vineyard of the same name, on the hill overlooking Casato Prime Donne.

In 2005, the young architect Marco Pignattai—a native of Montalcino—designed the first Chianina ox, which was created from travertine, a stone typical of the Siena area. As is often the case with Land Art, the installation became part of the natural environment, shifting with the changing seasons and times of day… it became covered in moss and eventually collapsed to the ground, destroyed by the elements. Today, the original Ardita lies on the ground like a shadow of its twin—the one installed in its place—which is even capable of visually incorporating the original into its own image.

The quotation by Maria Carmela Lanzetta, Mayor of Monasterace, who defied the ‘Ndrangheta:

“Our eyes, dazzled by the colours of the sea in our native town and by the cypresses sailing upon the harmonious waves of the Tuscan hills. To journey through that endless vista while reflecting on the beauty of the landscape—which must be preserved—and on the women who must be protected from daily violence.”

 

2013 “PUNTI DI VISTA” (POINTS OF VIEW) BY CARLOTTA, GIUDITTA, AND ANNIBALE PARISI AT CASATO PRIME DONNE

The 2013 work “Punti di vista” (Points of View) by Carlotta, Giuditta, and Annibale Parisi exemplifies the distinct way women view the world, while also serving as a reflection on the concept of vision itself: reality shifting according to one’s vantage point, objects transforming through imagination, and women being perceived differently over time—while they, in turn, hold a “gendered” perspective of the world. Featured on several wheelbarrows are female profiles inspired by the styles of Léger, Picasso, Modigliani, Gauguin, Frida Kahlo, and Matisse, alongside one reflecting Carlotta Parisi’s own artistic vision.

The quotation by Linda Laura Sabbadini—the ISTAT director who first identified the scale of abuse against women in Italy—reads: “Montalcino is a place of high Italian civilization, the cradle of a millennial tradition of harmonious coexistence of that accord between human endeavour and nature of which women are both guardians and masters, and of which wine stands as a peaceful, celebratory symbol.”

 

2016 THE DOVE’S FLIGHT BY ROBERTO TURCHI (WITH THE COLLABORATION OF GIUSEPPE SANFILIPPO, TOMMASO DIRONATO AND MCM SERVICE) AT CASATO PRIME DONNE

Roberto Turchi’s work, “The Dove’s Flight”, is a digital visual performance that transforms the new fermentation room into an artistic space.

The Dove’s flight takes centre stage in this story—painted and projected (with the collaboration of Giuseppe Sanfilippo, Tommaso di Donato, and MCM Service) onto the truncated-cone vats of the winemaking hall.

Roberto Turchi—a painter, wine expert, restaurateur, and interior designer with a profound, visceral connection to Montalcino—here engages in a dynamic, immersive experience. For three minutes, he transports visitors into a world where painted and real images, colours and sounds, and emotions and a sense of lightness blend together, conveying the true, authentic spirit of the village of Montalcino.

 

Quotation by Chaimaa Fatihi, Peace Activist

<<To all the women of the world who find the strength to persevere and never give up in the face of fear, prejudice, hatred, and violence. To the mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, and aunts of every nation, faith, and worldview, who do not shy away from connection, sharing, and the mutual female solidarity that defines them.>>

 

2017 DONNA CHE GUARDA (Woman Gazing) by Alessia Bernardeschi AT CASATO PRIME DONNE

 

This art installation (steel, 130 x 95 cm) takes the form of a frame that assembles and disassembles itself, interacting with anyone wishing to take a selfie against the backdrop of the Brunello vineyards. It fosters an active relationship with the public—who thus become co-creators of the piece—while artistically elevating the popular trend of taking photographs.

The frame consists of three parts that align to form a complete image only when viewed from directly in front. They depict a woman gazing into the distance, her flowing hair creating a frame where shades of blue, yellow, and white play between the decorative and the abstract.

Quotation by molecular biologist Federica Bertocchini: “These words are dedicated to every single woman inhabiting our planet, and to Tuscany—this land of inestimable value that has chosen to celebrate them.”

 

2024 MONNA VITE BY LUIGI CORBINI AT CASATO PRIME DONNE

When he created this work, Luigi Corbini was a seventeen-year-old student at the Duccio di Buoninsegna Art High School in Siena; in this capacity, he participated in the talent incubator program of the  Casato Prime Donne Award. The piece is dedicated to life-generating forces—woman, the earth, and the grapevine—as symbols of rebirth, love, peace, joy, and triumph over death.

Set against a green background is a Corten steel wall featuring a female bust—”somewhat like a contemporary Venus of Willendorf”—repeated in a modular pattern. Climbing across it is a large, centuries-old grapevine made of mirrored metal, rendered in a medieval-inspired graphic style. The cultural and chromatic contrast defines the stylistic—and ironically provocative—nature of a work that explores centuries-old contradictions: the interplay of sexuality, pleasure, and the sacred; the relationship with nature; and the yearning for rebirth, incorporating Christian symbols such as the almond shape, which signifies life.

Quotation by Maria Canabal President of Parabere Forum: “Like Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest, women have long been recognized and celebrated for the crucial role they play as guardians of the land and biodiversity—and for their indispensable contribution to the past, present, and future of food. It is women who feed the world.”