If you love hiking and modern art makes your all giddy, then Arte Sella is a must-visit place for you. The art park is located on the southern slope of Mount Armentera, in the Italian region of Trentino, and is a massive tourism magnet!
This art park is in all respects an unparalleled art venue, where installations created from natural materials are inscribed in the trees and meadows of the Val di Cella valley.
The project was founded in 1986, and is usually divided into two parts. The first is a mountain path, where every step you take is like a journey to a mind of a mad man (or a genius). Here you’ll happen upon a variety of art installations: from trees planted in bizarre ways to wolves made of stone.
The second area is located near the Malga Costa farm. Here the main object of worship is the temple of living trees. This is the last project of Giuliano Mauri who, unfortunately, did not live long enough to see his own creation flourish. Good thing his son was more than capable to take up after his father.
So what is this temple of living trees exactly? It’s brilliant in its simplicity. Covering around 650 square meter area Giuliano planted over 2000 seedlings of chestnuts, spruces, and hornbeams in a form of a wooden cathedral or something like that. The trees haven’t fully grown yet, but you can already see the outline of what one day may be the coolest cathedral on Earth.
Another feature of the park is that all the objects in it are made from natural materials, such as fallen trees or stones. Modern artists simply give dead plants a second life. A walk in this gorgeous park takes about three hours, and since you’ll go uphill all the time, it’s also a superb cardio exercise. The best of both worlds!
