Gazzetta di Siena, 29 March 2026

On 28 March 2026, Osservatorio: Mormorii opens to the public at the Rocca Aldobrandesca in Piancastagnaio (Siena) — the winning project of the first edition of the open call promoted by the Municipality of Piancastagnaio, dedicated to the creation of contemporary art and design exhibitions within the spaces of the historic fortress. Featuring works by Francesca Banchelli, Francesco Carone, Rä di Martino and Namsal Siedlecki, the project is curated by Mirco Marino in collaboration with Antonella Nicola, and introduces into a territory rich in history, culture and landscape an unprecedented vision of the Rocca Aldobrandesca. The exhibition unfolds as a reflection on the four artists’ work in constructing an overarching sense of ascent that leads from the earth — and from the underground — to the sky, and back to the earth again.

“This open call,” commented Pierluigi Piccini, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Piancastagnaio, “represented an important departure for us: we wanted to open the Rocca Aldobrandesca to the world of contemporary art, offering curators a concrete opportunity for project development and exchange. It is a genuine experiment in cultural participation, one that reaffirms the administration’s commitment to enhancing our heritage through innovative languages. We firmly believe that culture is a fundamental lever for the development and regeneration of the territory. This is why we are pursuing a path grounded in openness and collaboration with artists, curators and institutions.” He continued: “The recognition awarded by Artribune to Piancastagnaio as ‘Small City of the Year’ in the Best of 2025 is, for us, a significant confirmation. It is a sign that even a small centre can transform its own history into a living resource, capable of entering into dialogue with the present. Piancastagnaio has grown while maintaining its own identity, yet opening itself to experimentation. The Rocca Aldobrandesca embodies this: a historic site that has once again become an active space of cultural production. Projects such as Osservatorio: Mormorii, dedicated to curators under 35, demonstrate that it is possible to create opportunities for research and exchange even in inland areas.” Piccini concluded: “This result rewards a precise vision: culture is not a matter of scale, but of quality, continuity and rootedness in the territory.”

Here the gaze opens wide across the boundless horizons of that composed and luminous landscape. A privileged 360° observatory that urges one to reach further, carrying us ideally higher still, towards infinite space. Yet the high and the low are inseparably connected. And so, inevitably, the gaze turns back to seek the earth. We find again the same crowned cypress that welcomed us at the outset and that symbolically closes the ascent of the exhibition’s itinerary, creating a circularity between the natural landscape and the imaginary.

Mormorii sets out to engage with this stratified territory through three main objectives: to reactivate the places dense with history and culture in Piancastagnaio, in the spirit of a contemporary art that opens outward to the world; to work with the community in order to preserve and bring to the surface not only places but also traditions, memories and voices.

Gazzetta di Siena