The Tarot Garden is a colourful sculpture garden in the midst of Maremma’s countryside in southern Tuscany. a few kilometres from the walled village of Capalbio.
Welcome to the dreamlike, imaginative world of a French artist inspired by Gaudì. A place where contemporary art and symbolism meets nature.
In Garavicchio, near Capalbio, in the southern part of the Maremma, lies a very unusual park created by the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Here you can engage with imagination and art in a place unlike any other in Tuscany.
The Tarot Garden is a perfect attraction to enjoy with the kids. They’ll love the huge sculptures, and you can take inspiration from this deeply creative artist, the esoteric Tarot cards and their symbolism. The best part is that kids won’t need to hold back. They can touch and climb the statues, including one – the Empress – that’s big enough to contain a small house. The artist used to live in this very house while working on her project.
In this wonderful park, you can choose to relax in the shade of a massive colourful tree of life with snakes for branches, and your kids can instead climb right inside curiously shaped figures.
When and how was the Tarot Garden created?
The park is a feast for the imagination, with sculptures made of coloured glass and ceramic, and colours as bright and bold as the ideas. Niki de Saint Phalle was an intense character, and her art reflects her interest in the role of the female in society. Born in France in 1930, she became fascinated by Gaudi‘s work and took inspiration from his Park Güell in Barcelona.
The artist took 17 years to complete this “small Eden”, with the help of many artisans and fellow artists, and the park was opened in 1998. It’s a celebration of the materials that have been used and the ability of the craftsmen that worked here.
When Saint Phalle chose this plot of land in Garavicchio in the midst of the Maremma wilderness, she wanted to create a ”small Eden where man and nature meet”. And that’s precisely what she achieved, Inside its massive walls is a different reality where colours and esoteric symbols are the order of the day.
Check opening times in the official website: ilgiardinodeitarocchi.it – It is usually closed on weekends in the winter. Be aware as it’s not well signposted.
NEARBY: Visit delightful Capalbio, a Medieval small towns with plenty of picturesque corners to explore.
photo credit: @Efraimstotcher on pixabay
