Modern and contemporary art in the Empolese Valdelsa and Montalbano region

In the town of Vinci, everything reminds us of Leonardo, including modern and contemporary art. The artist Mimmo Paladino decorated the entrance to the Museo Leonardiano in Piazza dei Guidi in the centre of Vinci with glass tiles and silver blades.

The most famous tribute to the Renaissance genius, however, is Mario Ceroli's wooden sculpture representing the "Vitruvian Man", which is placed on the terrace of the Conti Guidi Castle, overlooking the surrounding hills. Not far away, visitors can admire the composition "Dialogue beyond time and space: Leonardo da Vinci and Qi Baishi" by contemporary Chinese artist Wu Weishan, donated to the city of Vinci in 2020. 

Nearby, in the church of Santa Croce where Leonardo was baptised, there is a sculptural installation by Cecco Bonanotte dedicated to the History of Salvation. Finally, the famous 'Leonardo's Horse', by the artist Nina Akamu, dominates Piazza della Libertà.

Modern art in Fucecchio is represented by the painter Arturo Checchi: his works are preserved in the Civic Museum, particularly his early paintings.

Leaving the museum and reaching the square in front of Corsini Park, we can admire “Eloisa”, a sculpture carved from a single block of marble by the sculptor Arturo Carmassi (1926-2015). Inspired by the figure of Eloisa, the woman loved by Abelard, the statue symbolises impossible but eternal love. 

Finally, don't miss the Muro La Luna, a 60-metre long mural that the artist Giulio Greco realized on the façade of the Municipal Stadium in Fucecchio.  

Certaldo is the birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio, author of the Decameron. Numerous modern and contemporary painters pay homage to him and their works are part of the painting exhibition in the Casa Boccaccio Museum. 

There are about 700 paintings - periodically changed in the exhibition - painted by illustrious Italian and foreign artists from 1966 to the present day. All the works are inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron and are also displayed in the Modern Art Gallery in Palazzo Pretorio, using the same practice of rotation.
 

Montespertoli is the town of Chianti wine. A few kilometres from the city in the vineyard covered countryside, you can find the charming Parco del Chianti. It's a park-museum populated by 18 installations by contemporary artists, set in a balanced relationship with the surrounding nature.

The last stop on our modern and contemporary art route in the Empolese Valdelsa and Montalbano region is the town of Capraia e Limite. 

Here, you can find the historic Pasquinucci Furnace, founded in the 19th century by two brothers, the potters Antonio and Enrico Pasquinucci. It's now been transformed into an original exhibition space for temporary exhibitions and cultural events. The works of art are placed among the kilns, the workspaces and the troughs, in a fascinating cross-reference between past and present.