Carapace Winery | Arnaldo Pomodoro

The “Carapace" celebrated its grand opening on June 16, 2012. Designed for the Lunelli family's Tenuta Castelbuono, the “Carapace” gives birth to great wines like Montefalco Sagrantino. Created by one of the greats of contemporary art, Arnaldo Pomodoro, it challenges the boundaries between sculpture and architecture. It is the first sculpture in the world in which one lives and works, a unique project in which art and nature, sculpture and wine speak together to emphasize the uniqueness of both the content and container. The "Carapace" is the latest step of the ambitious project from the Lunelli family, at the helm of Cantine Ferrari for three generations, to create wine estates that share with Ferrari Metodo Classico the same dedication to excellence and strong bonds with the territory. In 2001, fascinated by the ancient and mystical land of Umbria and by an extraordinarily powerful and long-lived wine, Sagrantino, the Lunellis acquired Tenuta Castelbuono, 30 hectares of vineyards in the municipalities of Bevagna and Montefalco. Initially efforts were focused on the vineyards, now being converted to organic, planting new vines and upgrading the existing ones through a complex project of clone selection. In 2003 the Montefalco Sagrantino was created and was followed the next year by the Montefalco Rosso. There was the need, however, of a new winery and the Lunelli family, thanks to a solid and long-standing friendship with Arnaldo Pomodoro, asked him to plan it. The artist accepted with enthusiasm and after the first “on the spot” visit he had already envisioned the project. "The landscape" says Arnaldo Pomodoro "reminded me of Montefeltro, where I was born and reproduced by Piero della Francesca in his works. Therefore, my work must not disturb the gentle hills with vineyards, but it needed to integrate with them. I had the idea of ​​a shape that resembles a turtle, symbol of stability and longevity. Its carapace represents the union between earth and sky." The "Carapace" is a large dome covered with copper, with cracks lining the surface in harmony with the characteristic furrows of the surrounding landscape. A sculptural element in the shape of a red arrow sticking into the ground locates the work in the landscape. Entering the "Carapace" is like entering into one of Pomodoro's sculptures, as evidenced by his artistic alphabet immediately recognizable upon entering the inner vault. A wine cellar which elicits emotions, even for its creator, Arnaldo Pomodoro, "for the first time in my life I have the thrill of being able to walk, talk and drink inside of one of my works." An auteur cellar for an auteur wine. [IT] "Questo progetto, commissionato dalla Famiglia Lunelli, per la Tenuta Castelbuono di Bevagna rappresenta per me un’esperienza completamente nuova perché si è trattato di fare un’opera che fosse allo stesso tempo architettonica e sculturale. Da un lato l’esigenza funzionale per la produzione e conservazione del vino e dall’altro quella di ideare una forma di forte impatto visivo per il pubblico che viene a visitare la grande cantina e a degustare il vino. II progetto nasce dalla visita e dallo studio dei luoghi: la tenuta è immersa in un ambiente naturale straordinariamente suggestivo che ricorda i paesaggi raffigurati nei quadri degli artisti del Rinascimento, che sono tipici anche del Montefeltro dove io sono nato. Il mio intervento quindi non doveva disturbare la dolcezza delle colline dove si estendono i vigneti, anzi doveva integrarsi perfettamente con l’ambiente. Ho avuto l’idea di una forma che ricorda la tartaruga, simbolo di stabilità e longevità che, con il suo carapace rappresenta l’unione tra terra e cielo. Un elemento sculturale a forma di dardo che si conficca nel terreno sottolinea l’opera nel paesaggio. E’ una “freccia” che svetta con valore di riferimento per chi si avvicina alla costruzione e, al tempo stesso, rappresenta l’attività dell’uomo e il legame con la terra. In questo modo la visione esterna dell’opera è di immediata e naturale continuità con l’ambiente, in una perfetta e armonica simbiosi". Arnaldo Pomodoro