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Spoerri Garden in Seggiano: An Artist's Dream

Spoerri Garden in Seggiano: An Artist's Dream

Situated on the slopes of the Amiata, Seggiano is an area covered with old olive trees, chestnut trees and blooms whose quiet villages, with their rocks and castles, tell of a dark and mysterious past. A vast and fascinating landscape which is easily distinguished from the rest of Tuscany, due to the unmistakable profile of the Amiata Volcano which rises prominently in the background. Although the volcano has lain dormant for many years, it is, in fact, still active, just like the mysteries, history and the region's fascinating villages which are all uniquely made of stone.

Tucked away in a remote corner of the Tuscan countryside, already well-known for its enchanting beauty, Seggiano's unique combination of colourful natural beauty and ancient Etruscan influences, including thousands of legends telling of witches, demons and saints, makes it almost impossible for visitors not to fall in love with it. Unsurprisingly, the alluring land of Seggiano has seduced many a contemporary artist, including the Swiss Daniel Spoerri whose visit to Seggiano resulted in a life changing decision.

A man of many talents, Spoerri has had success in many artistic fields including sculpture, choreography, poetry, mime and writing. Before coming to Seggiano, a place which was soon to take a special place in his heart, Spoerri had proudly considered himself a kindred spirit having lived in a whole host of places all over the world including New York, Paris, Dusseldorf and the Greek Island of Simi, to name a few. However, during his stay in Seggiano, Spoerri became so entranced by such breathtaking countryside that he finally decided to put an end to his endless travelling. Being so bewitched by this beautiful place, which he thought to be "magical", he eventually came to settle down in Seggiano, content at the prospect of living out the rest of his years there.

During the 1990's, following his decision to base himself in Seggiano, Spoerri purchased more than 15 hectares of land covered with forest and olive trees that had been damaged by a period of exceptionally cold temperatures. He considered this land, located literally on the doorstep of the residential area of Seggiano, to be his very own piece of paradise. Shortly after, Spoerri transformed his newly purchased land into a sort of "museum-park", which he filled with endless works of art, mainly sculptures all placed ever so casually amongst the trees, fields and ponds of this terrain. By transforming the land in this way, Spoerri created a captivating, and completely original, fusion of art, nature and landscape. As part of this project, he also restored several farmhouses which fell within the borders of his land, one of which became his permanent residence and studio.

On entry to this truly unusual place, the park's many visitors are immediately struck by the almost magical quality of the park, often referred to as a kind of “sacred forest” of antiquity. Within the park, there are about 70 collections of Daniel Spoerri's work and also the work of other artistsall arranged in the park's trademark casual manner. Just by wandering aimlessly through the grounds of the park, you will almost certainly find yourself, at some point, faced with one of the many monstrous creatures featured throughout the park, which seem to be almost guarding the park's olive trees. You may also come across unnerving warriors emerging from the lake, a group of strange feminine figurines surrounded by bushes; and also, if you are lucky enough, you may discover a curious figure, who, admiring the surrounding view whilst happily leaning against the railing, is none other than a marvellous statue.

Furthermore, you could also visit a curious open air room within the park (titled “Chambre No 13 de l'hotel Carcassonne Paris 1959-1965”) which is, in fact, a replica of the environment in which Spoerri has lived and worked for several years, completed with attention to even the tiniest of details. Finally, a trip to these splendid gardens is not complete without seeing the stone mazes carefully laid out on the lawn. These stone mazes are a testimony to numerous unknown South American civilizations, and feature enormous seats, groups of strange bronze statues, sonorous sculptures and hedges trimmed in the shape of inviting sofas.

However, this is just brief introduction into the many marvels this park has to offer. In fact, this botanical wonderland filled with an abundance of original masterpieces, each one identified and explained by its own label, will seduce even those who were not previously lovers of contemporary art.

Vaglia 787 Weekly Price: Min. € 490,00 Max. € 1.190,00 Number of Beds: 12

Caprese Michelangelo 1618 Weekly Price: Min. € 350,00 Max. € 900,00 Number of Beds: 14

San Marco 1503 Daily Price: Min. € 0 Max. € 0 Number of Beds: 4

Albinia 1622 Weekly Price: Min. € 450,00 Max. € 875,00 Number of Beds: 25