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
Montalcino -Casato Prime Donne 2012 ARDITA
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.”