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suitable for: all ages, partially suited to strollers
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elevation gain: +50 metres one-way
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distance: 1 km one-way
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estimated time: 30 minutes one-way
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route type: linear out-and-back trail on dirt road, grassy tracks
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starting altitude: 170 metres
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arrival altitude: 210 metres
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when: all year round in absence of snow
Several colourful tiles mark the Sito dell’Acqua (Water site), always designed by master Luzzati. Follow the tiles and walk behind the farmhouse, then take the dirt road that goes slightly uphill to the first group of cypress trees where you will find the art works of the Sito del Fuoco (Fire site) featuring some peculiar red glasses which literally glow in the sunlight.
The dirt road takes you directly to the next destination however, the good thing about the place is that you can also wander among the vineyard rows and discover some spooky Signpost heads. As you wander around you get to the impressive Cascina Castello, through a sort of "vineyard door", a work designed by Ugo Nespolo, until you reach the building.
On the left you can see the observatory, a structure you can climb up to have a 360° view of the top, whereas inside a series of educational boards tell the story of La Court and the vineyard cultivation. On the right-hand side of the farmhouse, used as an open-air cinema, there is a colourful Big Bench which obviously matches the hues of wine and which adults can climb and feel like they were children again.
As you walk past Cascina Castello you will return to wander through the vineyards while other artworks will appear and disappear until you reach another group of cypress trees where the installations of the Sito dell'Aria (Air site), always by the illustrious master Luzzati, stand out. It is a sort of metal cage from which colourful light and ethereal birds can escape, and which also ease your thoughts before you get back on the path.
Notes
The Art Park La Court is a great idea developed by Michele Chiarlo's company in Castelnuovo Calcea: to combine the ancient world of viticulture with the fantastic and modern world of works of art in an open-air museum. Therefore a walk through the vines turns into an educational game and it becomes accessible also to children who, as we know, do not care about wine as much as their fathers.
Suitable for sport-type prams only on the main dirt road.
The Art Park is about two kilometres from the old town of Castelnuovo Calcea, where the remains of the castle from which the town takes its name are found. The castle already existed in the XII century, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times and today it is municipal property. An odd staircase stands out next to the church of Santo Stefano. The work is quite recent as it dates back to 2015, however it is an accurate copy of an ancient bridge dating back to the 13th century, it was the main access to the castle which was destroyed in 1965. The only difference today is that, instead of overlooking a waterway it overlooks a triangular-shaped square.
PLEASE NOTE: Responsibility for the maintenance and practicability of the various trails lies with the municipalities where the routes are located. The Tourist Board, therefore, cannot be held responsible for any inefficiencies, but is willingly available to collect your reports so that they can be forwarded to the authorities concerned.
