SCULPTURE PARKS IN TUSCANY: Niki de Saint-Phalle's Tarot Garden

Etruscans, Romans, the Renaissance - Tuscany is chock-full of art and architecture, but where is all the recent and contemporary stuff? Niki de Saint-Phalle's Sculpture Park lies near Capalbio in the southernmost angle of Tuscany right on the border of Lazio (the region Rome belongs to). And finally all that way down one will encounter the 20th century thanks to the imagination and mastery of this French-American artist. Not only the children will love it!

A sculpture of Niki de Saint-Phalle in Capalbio's historic town center

Bumtastic - Niki de Saint-Phalle in Capalbio

The Swiss artist Jean Tinguely contributed some of his famous machine sculptures to the park, and yes, the two of them had quite a love affair going on. Think about that one when you visit the fairy tale house Niki lived in (I still wonder whether all those mirrors were her or his idea).

Another Swiss contributor to the Tarot Garden is Mario Botta. The star architect from Southern Switzerland designed the beautiful entrance and museum shop of the sculpture park. More of Botta's design can be seen at the monumental Petra winery near Suvereto.

Where: Capalbio (Siena 127km, Rome 135km). DON'T take the turn-off to CAPALBIO (and neither the one to GIARDINO beforehand), but stay on the Aurelia (the highway like road) till you get to signs for PESCIA FIORENTINA (NOT Pescia Romana which is already in Lazio). The Tarot garden is on the left side a couple of kilometers after the Aurelia turn-off.

When: open daily from 1st of April to 15th of October. Full price €12, reduced rate €7, kids under 7 for free.
The park is closed in the winter, but according to Niki de Saint-Phalle's wish opens for a free visit on each first Saturday of the month (from November to March only).

A nice account of a visit to the Tarot garden (which ended in marriage) can be found on the Florentine Art Travel Blog Arttrav. Niki obviously knew what she was doing.

WINE AND ARCHITECTURE: PETRA WINERY BY MARIO BOTTA

Southern Tuscany is home to a handful of wineries, which are often described as wine cathedrals. The Petra vineyard near Suvereto (by architect Mario Botta) is an interesting example of this new approach in winery architecture. At Petra the world-class architect went beyond designing an impressive wine cellar, but also included the outlay of the vineyards in his aim to form a contemporary agricultural landscape. Main building of the Petra Winery in Suvereto If it is true that the way to good wine starts in the he vineyard, it is also true that only the quality of the cork, the design of the label, and the beauty of the bottle shape will bring the consumer's experience to full circle. Taking this thought further it's obvious that the birthplace of a good or even fantastic wine, is yes the vine and its grapes, but also the winery building in particular and the whole estate in general. If you know any of Botta's works, you'll recog...

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Storytellers at the Todo Modo bookshop in Florence

I may not be religious, but I totally worship the Todo Modo bookshop in Florence for its beautiful interior design, central location - a ten-minute walk from the station and Ponte Vecchio - and the cafè hidden among shelves and plants hanging from the roof. UqBar serves some of the best lunches to be had in Florence - especially for people who'd love to forego the usual Tuscan fare for a delicious miso soup . But Todo Modo does another thing well. The shelf-filled spaces in the back can be turned into a small theatre which makes for a great event space among all the books. I had my Across the Big Blue Sea book presentation there and was back last month for a Storytellers night - the first event of a great new series. Linda and Steve, the team from the The Beehive Hostel in Rome have decided to take their storytellers nights to Florence, and Todo Modo has agreed to host them. Whether residents or just travelling through, English speakers will have great fun...

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SAN BIAGIO AT NIGHT - JUNE 7, 2019

San Biagio at night (with Montepulciano in the background) Day or night, San Biagio, il tempio di San Biagio, is always a looker. But it's a special treat to be able to visit the interior of the church all through the night. As one of 150 churches in Italy, Montepulciano's famous temple church will stay open through the night for the ' La Lunga Notte delle Chiese' event. Concerts and various cultural happenings will take place during the long night of churches on June 7, 2019 from 9.15 pm. Check the event website for details of the participating churches in Tuscany and all over Italy.

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