From July 10 to November 3, 2025, the villages of Bolgheri, Castagneto Carducci, and Casale Marittimo become the setting for Arte diffusa sulla costa toscana, a project that intertwines art, landscape, history, and architecture. Conceived and curated by Paola Maria Formenti, the exhibition celebrates the work of Giuseppe Bergomi, one of the most important living Italian sculptors and a leading voice in contemporary art, bringing his works out of museum spaces and into the daily landscape of a territory rich in identity.
Giuseppe Bergomi, born in Brescia in 1953, began his career as a painter in 1978 after studying at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, and has focused on sculpture since 1981. His work has been exhibited in many prestigious venues, including the Venice Biennale, Castello di Brescia, Palazzo Montecitorio, the Cathedral of Noto, and Expo Milano, and has earned him major recognitions such as the Grand Prix Château Beychevelle and the Camera dei Deputati Prize. Strongly focused on the human figure, his sculptures stem from a continuous dialogue with classical tradition, which the artist himself describes as putting “to the test of reality.”
Art critic Gabriele Simongini, in his essay Corpi d’anima e silenzio (Skira), refers to him as “the sculptor of the unspoken.” His figures, he writes, “seem to question the mystery of human life and the meaning of individual presence, without expecting clear answers. More than meditating on these mysteries, they seem to feel and inhabit them.”
“The human body is an infinite book that you reinterpret from the beginning each time” – Giuseppe Bergomi
The project was conceived and curated by Paola Maria Formenti, born in Milan, with a background in economics from Bocconi University and long-standing experience in the art world. She has collaborated with important private collections and international institutions such as the Hauser & Wirth gallery. She has also contributed to the cultural programming of ANISA (Italian National Association of Art History Teachers), and alongside her work as an art expert and consultant, she cultivates a deep passion for wine, furthered through AIS courses.
With Arte diffusa, Formenti aimed to bring these worlds together in a project that not only promotes culture, but also creates meaningful connections between places, people, and visions, revealing her identity as a curator rooted in both art and territory.
The exhibition route
Arte diffusa sulla costa toscana unfolds as an open-air exhibition route that links three villages through a shared cultural geography: Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri, and Casale Marittimo. The works on display by Giuseppe Bergomi come largely from private collections, along with Cubo con figure (2002), in bronze and corten steel, on loan from the Museo Civico di Santa Giulia in Brescia, and three new site-specific sculptures created for this occasion.
In Castagneto Carducci, visitors walking through the village can admire five outdoor sculptures. In Piazzale Belvedere Curiel are Ellisse, a new site-specific bronze work, Cronografia di un corpo (2012), in bronze, steel, and polychrome, and Grande coppia su parallelepipedo (1997). In the historic Piazza della Gogna stands Cubo con figure che guardano in alto (2023), a bronze piece. In front of the Town Hall, on Via Vittorio Emanuele, rises Geometrie descrittive 3, another newly created sculpture for the exhibition, in corten, bronze, and iron.
The route continues inside Palazzo Espinassi Moratti, where a medieval underground room hosts Africa con violoncello, a life-size bronze sculpture originally presented at the 2011 Venice Biennale. The work is accompanied by a series of small-scale pieces, all centered on the human body.
In Bolgheri, at the heart of the medieval village, the work chosen to engage with the church square is Stele con annunciazione, the third site-specific sculpture created for this exhibition. Made of corten steel and bronze, the piece features a high relief of the Annunciation on one side and a small Golgotha scene on the other.
Finally, in Casale Marittimo, the exhibition route unfolds in three stages. At La Canonica, visitors encounter Ilaria e Valentina and Cubo con figure, placed in a quieter area of the village. At the Oratorio di San Sebastiano, in Piazza del Popolo, stands Colazione a letto (2024), portraying the artist alongside his wife, daughters, and granddaughters — an intimate and monumental tribute to three generations of his family. The journey concludes at Il Coppaio, in a panoramic square overlooking the sea, where Piccola coppia su parallelepipedo marks the final stage of an exhibition in which sculpture becomes part of the landscape, resonating with the places it inhabits.
A network of visions
The initiative is supported by the Municipalities of Castagneto Carducci and Casale Marittimo, under the patronage of the Diocese of Massa Marittima, and backed by two local partners: Poggio al Tesoro and Terre dei Ghelfi.
Poggio al Tesoro, founded in 2001 by Marilisa Allegrini, is a winery that today covers 100 hectares, 64 of which are planted with vines. The vineyards are divided among four estates, including Via Bolgherese and Le Sondraie, considered among the most prestigious areas of the appellation. Part of the Marilisa Allegrini Group, the company combines a strong connection to the land with quality production and a sensitivity to art.
Argentiera Bolgheri takes its name from the ancient silver mines once present in this area, rich in natural springs. Founded in 1999 within the historic Tenuta Donoratico and today owned by Stanislaus Turnauer, the estate spans 153 hectares, with 85 dedicated to vineyards. The remaining land includes forests, Mediterranean scrub and open spaces that ensure constant natural ventilation. Located at some of the highest altitudes in the denomination and close to the sea, Argentiera enjoys intense light, steady breezes, and a unique terroir that expresses elegance, finesse, and balance.
And then there’s us, Terre dei Ghelfi. Founded in 2021 in the heart of the Bolgheri DOC, we immediately pursued the idea of a place that could combine hospitality and high-quality agricultural production. We believe that culture, like the wine and olive oil we produce, is one of the most authentic expressions of this land. That is why we are proud to support Arte diffusa sulla costa toscana. It speaks the same language that guides us every day: one of understated elegance, respect for the landscape, and a desire to highlight what is genuine. Being part of this project means helping to tell and promote our territory in a way that deeply reflects who we are.
Arte diffusa sulla costa toscana is a journey and an experience that invites visitors to see familiar places with new eyes, to slow down, and to walk alongside the sculptures through alleys, churchyards, and squares. Giuseppe Bergomi’s works, placed within the living fabric of the villages, become subtle yet powerful presences, capable of engaging in dialogue with history and those who look at them.
For those who choose to follow this route, it will be an opportunity to discover another dimension of the territory. A place where art does not simply add something extra, but instead reveals what is already there. Where art and culture intertwine with the surroundings, and beauty emerges in a tangible way, step by step.
Source: official press release of the exhibition Arte diffusa sulla costa toscana. Le sculture di Giuseppe Bergomi, tra Bolgheri, Castagneto Carducci e Casale Marittimo
