Once called Chapel of the Most Holy Madonna delle Grazie, Barolo chapel (or Cappella delle Brunate) appears as a mirage among the Piedmontese vineyards. We are in Langhe, a land of greenery and rows, where the cellars open to the public and the wines are extraordinary. It is precisely here that, in 1999, Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett gave life to a small contemporary art masterpiece.
Cappella del Barolo, the history
The history of the Cappella del Barolo begins from afar. Built in 1914 by farmers who worked in the surrounding countryside, it served to shelter from the elements and was used as a temporary shelter. However, despite its name and architecture, it was never consecrated. The family took care of transforming it into an open-air art gallery, between the green of the vineyards and the blue of the sky. Ceretto. Or rather, the Ceretto family (wine producers since the 1970s) bought it in 1999. And, in XNUMX, he hired two artists for its restoration: the American Sol LeWitt took care of the exteriors, the British naturalized Swiss David Tremlett repainted the interiors. . The result? A colorful interlocking of colors, which earned the Barolo Chapel the nickname of "Most colorful chapel in Italy".
"An artistic work linked to the environment in which it was created is a tangible and lasting sign, it constitutes a gift to a place that is forever changed and enriched by it.”Reads the Ceretto company website. The family has always commissioned works of art full of beauty. Works that enhance the territory, those Langhe of which they are so proud. And that they want to transform into a destination for curious and aware tourism.
From the chapel to the giant chairs, the artistic side of the Langhe
Open every day from 9.00 to 19.00, the Barolo Chapel is free to enter. It is found in the Brunate di La Morra vineyard, in the heart of the Cuneo Langhe. And it can be reached right from the town of La Morra by taking the Barolo Trail from the provincial road: you walk until you reach the vineyards in the direction of the Fontanazza village and admire it in all its colorful beauty. However, the chapel is not the only place of the Langhe which is worth a visit. There are many other corners that art has splendidly contaminated and, the credit goes to Big Bench Community Project.
The “giant benches of the Langhe” were born from an idea of the American designer Chris bangle: it was he who created, with the help of some friends, the first giant bench in Clavesana. From that moment on, the province of Cuneo has seen dozens of these strange sculptures appear that appear to be placed by a giant. To see them, you can start your journey from Monforte d'Alba by collecting the "passport of the benches" at the Tourist Office. And then have fun discovering the many and mammoth benches that dot the surroundings.
Featured photo taken from the Facebook page of the Ceretto company
