It looks a bit like Park Güell in Barcelona, theHermitage of Vincent. Except that, to see it, it is enough to go to Puglia. In the heart of Salento, the hermitage is actually the home of an artist: Vincenzo Maria Brunetti, in art Vincent. It was he, a painter and sculptor born in 1950, who built this semi-unknown villa that anyone - if passing through the Lecce area - should write down in his notebook.
Hermitage of Vincent, the story
The Hermitage of Vincent, with its mosaics and its colors, captures the eyes and makes the sight wander. Surrounded by the countryside, and full of details, it almost seems like a vision. Instead, it is a home of art, with white statues in contrast with the colored walls. With butterflies, sacred icons and sentences full of emotion that give life to a story. And to a splendid commission of concepts and elements. We are a guagnano, a few thousand inhabitants not far from Lecce. This is where Vincent's Hermitage gives an explosion of joy, wonder and good humor. "This is the home of peace and serenity. Those who seek war will find their way blocked”Reads one of its multicolored facades. Impossible not to be happy here, then. If only for a quick visit.
Why precisely Guagnano? Because this is where Vincenzo “Vincent” Maria Brunetti was born. And it is here that he returned, after his studies in Lecce and Milano. Guided by the desire to create something beautiful, Vincent bought an old votive church. And he transformed it into a happy city, adding piece by piece parts of what - as well as his home - is also his workshop, his art gallery, a place of devotion and a shop. An incredible mix between what is sacred and what is profane, between copies of famous works of art and recycled materials. These creations bear not only Vincent's signature but also of Oredo Deoro (his mosaics) and the many friends and collaborators who have embraced this psychedelic and joyful project.
Who is Vincent Maria Brunetti
Painter, sculptor, architect, music lover: Vincent Maria Brunetti is an artist and creative in the round. Born in Guagnano in 1950, he was struck by polio when he was just a child, risking immobility due to delicate operations on his left foot. It was his illness that brought him closer to art: he graduated from the art school in Lecce, completed his studies in Turin and Milan.
And, in the Milanese city, he obtained prestigious awards from artists of the caliber of Francesco Messina, Giacomo Manzù and Arnaldo Pomodoro. In his past there are also works as a television author, and even a profound approach to faith: he dressed in religious clothes, Vincent, and preached the Gospel under the name of Brother Enzo. Returning to secular life, he lived for a year and a half in a trullo in Noci, experiencing the life of a hermit. To then return to his hometown, and give life here to Vincent's Hermitage. House-museum surrounded by olive trees, the hermitage resembles a colorful cathedral. And it welcomes everyone, young and old, who return home with a heart full of joy.
Photo source: Vincent Maria Brunetti's Facebook page
