Siena's Contemporary Art Scene: Palaces, Wineries, and Sculpture Parks

Siena, renowned for its medieval heritage and the Palio, also boasts a vibrant contemporary art scene. The Palazzo delle Papesse, once a bank and later a contemporary art center that birthed Radio Papesse (Italy's first contemporary art radio), has reopened as a temporary exhibition space. The Complesso di Santa Maria della Scala, a former hospital along the Via Francigena, was restored by Canali associati s.r.l. (founded by Guido Canali) in the early 2000s and now hosts contemporary art shows. In the Chianti region, wineries like Castello di Ama feature site-specific installations by Louise Bourgeois, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Daniel Buren, Giulio Paolini, and Anish Kapoor. The Antinori Art Project at Cantina Antinori, designed by Archea Associati, houses a growing contemporary art collection. Outdoor sculpture parks include the Parco Sculture del Chianti (opened 2004) with works by Federica Marangoni, the Giardino di Jesa (1995) with Kurt Laurenz Metzle's hominids, and Selva di Sogno-Dreamwoods by Deva Manfredo. In Colle di Val d'Elsa, architects Giovanni Michelucci and Jean Nouvel and artists Sol LeWitt and Daniel Buren have left their mark. Poggibonsi features permanent works by Mimmo Paladino and Antony Gormley. San Gimignano, home to Galleria Continua (founded 1990 by Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi, and Maurizio Rigillo), displays works by Fabro, Paolini, Mattiacci, Kounellis, Kapoor, and Kosuth.