22 August 2010

The “Museo del Paesaggio” or Landscape Museum, is based on a single concept: to invite the visitor to reflect on the transformations in the world, as well as on the way in which man understands or may understand the world itself, whilst taking cues from the significance given each time to the term “landscape”. This is possible thanks to the very distinctive nature of the landscape: a concept that whilst indicating both the “thing” and “the image of the thing”, conducts one to examine the relationship between reality and its representation. The landscape becomes the subject of many working routes: through history, art, scientific research, agriculture, etc.
The route through the exhibition naturally takes advantage of single examples of landscapes, chosen from those that are particularly significant of the phenomenon that is to be highlighted each time. Amongst these single cases those drawn from the province of Siena have a predominant role. Thus the provincial territory becomes the opportunity to initiate a discussion that is nevertheless universal.

Today the Museum houses an archaeological section that is the result of years of archaeological digs, research and study by the Tuscan Archaeological Heritage Office, and the valuable collaboration of the A.C.R.A.S.A. association of Castelnuovo, within the sphere of the project named “Gli Etruschi di Bosco Le Pici” or The Etruscans of the Le Pici Wood. The exhibition includes materials of different workmanship and includes pottery and metals; the objects may be well preserved or damaged, but are just as equally fascinating.

In the medieval settlement of San Felice, there was a site of a parish church documented up until the beginning of the eighth century and a community of the county of Siena certifi ed around the half of year 200. In 1676, it was a small community of the mayor of Castelnuovo including seven farms. In the land register of 1825, it seems that a large part already formed the nucleus of buildings actually included between the villa, characterised by fl oor plans similar to the existent ones, and the parish church. The parish church of San Felice in Pincis is recorded for the first time in 714. In the following centuries, up until 800, it seems that the parish church is patronage of the Cerretani family. The last radical restoration was carried out in the first half of 900. Inside, the vaults have been decorated with a fresco's by Luigi Papi with the Four Evangelists and medieval inspired motives.

Saint Gusmè derives from Saint Cosma, of which the church's secret namesake is recorded since 867. In 1201 it was a non fortifi ed village of modest dimensions, around which the abbey of Barardenga had notably developed its' property. In 1370, following the raids of the mercenary groups, the inhabitants decided, with the help of Siena, to fortify the village with a wall around the outside. Between 1477 and 1479, it was once again fortified. Saint Gusmè, situated in the south-oriental area of higher Chianti, represents still to this day an example of a fortified village, of large circular form, delimited by an external wall still partly existing. This wall, of which the layout is clearly defi ned in a fl oor plan of the end of sixteenth century, conserves some features, with rectangular banks, a good part immersed into buildings which are leant against them. They have conserved the two gateways, even though slightly reshaped, which gave access to the castle. The Siena (Senese) gateway is surmounted by a rectangular plaque in marble with the shield of Siena between two leaves. In 1939 a third gateway was discovered, Porta Nuova (new gateway), which opens at the side of the churches of Saints Cosma and Damiano. The churches of the Saints Cosma and Damiano and of the SS. Annunziata are situated inside the village.

Villa a Sesta is a typical and picturesque Chianti village with a prevalent rural economy, located on the route to Brolio. Until the middle of IX century it was a Berardenga Counts possession. In 1882 its incomes were given to S.Salvatore in Campi Abbey, which is Berardenga's. The Church of S. Mary in Villa a Sesta is mentioned since VIII century as dependent on Pieve of San Felice. The current building anyway came out from a complete re-building and following transformations date back to XIX century. On the side-altars, inside the respective chapels, there are the Jacopo della Quercia Madonna con bambino wood statue and a Santa Caterina painting, which dates back to XVIII century.