Castello di Ama

Castello di Ama is a wine estate in the hills of Gaiole in Chianti, where Chianti Classico production and site-specific contemporary art share the historic hamlet. Its collection brings works by international artists into the village, cellars and surrounding landscape.

Why it matters

Four families from Rome acquired and restored the estate in 1976. Under agronomist Marco Pallanti, who joined in 1982, Castello di Ama became known for single-vineyard wines including Bellavista, San Lorenzo and La Casuccia. A contemporary art programme began in 2000, linking artistic commissions to the place rather than to a conventional gallery.

What to notice

The collection includes Michelangelo Pistoletto's mirrored work from 2000, a vineyard intervention by Daniel Buren from 2001, Hiroshi Sugimoto's camera-obscura work in the apse, Mirosław Bałka's Red Nerve and a work by Jenny Holzer. The estate also preserves a library of more than a thousand volumes in its Arca space.

Context and history

Castello di Ama farms vineyards and olive groves across the surrounding hills. The art project was developed by Lorenza Sebasti and Pallanti, initially with Galleria Continua. The estate's history thus brings together modern wine production, a small rural settlement and an evolving collection of contemporary art.