Frescobaldi shifts from prize to direct commission with site-specific works in Montalcino

The Frescobaldi wine estate has transformed its art patronage model: after five editions of a prize, the sixth iteration becomes a direct commission. Tiziana Frescobaldi invited Tuscan artists Daniela De Lorenzo (born 1959, Florence) and Massimo Bartolini (born 1962, Cecina) to create works in dialogue with the vineyards and cellars of the Castelgiocondo estate in Montalcino. Bartolini's 'Rosa Sirena' (2023) is an oak sculpture resembling a ship's figurehead placed at the edge of the Vergena vineyard, facing the distant sea, replacing the traditional rose planted as a disease sentinel. De Lorenzo's 'Sogno Sottile' (2023) comprises three bronze female figures on the estate's walls, representing fermentation, sugar-to-alcohol transformation, and aging. The works are part of a project that since 2013 has featured artist-designed labels for Frescobaldi's Brunello di Montalcino.