The “Path of Art and Soul” is a route featuring artistic installations created by leading 20th-century international sculptors.
It features 28 benches, travertine stone sculptures by great artists, dotted across the landscape. This collection of 28 pieces was donated to the Town of Pienza by a Swiss patron, Mr Urs Rechsteiner of the Urs RechsteinerFoundation (https://www.fur-rechsteiner.it).
The Path, approximately 2.5 km long, starts by descending from Piazza Pio II down towards the alleyway that leads to the “Porta al Santo”. Here, visitors will come across the first bench created by Giò Pomodoro; next are those by Cordelia von den Steinen, Pietro Cascella and Mauro Berrettini, located beneath the apse of the Cathedral, and then there are the benches by Riccardo Grazzi, Spender, Philippe and Adami, located along the Orto Piccolomini garden.
Proceeding along the road, you will come to Piazza Dante Alighieri. From here, by moving downhill towards the Parish Church of Corsignano, you will find works by Peysere, Tilson and Tarabella; then come the sculptures by Ciulla, Nisi and Aitiani.
Carrying on along the path, you can admire works by other masters, including Nado Canuti, Mino Trafeli and Mirella Forlivesi. At the intersection between Via Santa Caterina and Podere il Pino, there is a sculpture by Berrettini and Grazzi commemorating a student of the professor and artist Mauro Berrettini. Opposite, you can admire a sculpture by Renato Corsi.
The point where the path crosses the woods features a bench by Kan Yasuda. Visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature and admire these art forms, which blend seamlessly into the stunning Val d’Orcia landscape. Leaving the forest behind, you will come to the olive grove where there are works by Ugo Nespolo, Georg Dietzler, Rinaldo Bigi, Kurt Laurenz Metzler, Venturino Venturi, Sandro Chia and Jacopo Cascella.
The Path ends at the farm of Podere il Sasso, where there is a sculpture by Daniel Couvreur.
The Path of Art and Soul, an innovative experience for understanding and discovering the area, is symbolically characterised by the Guardian of the Valley, a statue covered in cement mortar embodying the image of a seated man whose imposing presence protects travelling pilgrims and the land of the Val d’Orcia. The work was conceived by entrepreneur Lorenzo Nisi and created by the Corto Corcuito company and the artist Antonio Borrelli.
