Created on this panoramic site as part of an environmental regeneration project, Chiara Camoni’s sculpture takes the shape of a large serpent lying on the ground, winding through the vegetation. Sinuous and silent like the animal it is inspired by, the work is made from collected stones and reclaimed materials, combined with terracotta elements specially crafted by the artist, following a series of workshops involving local institutions and families.
Chiara Camoni’s work The House of the Serpent Regolo, or the story of a river, a path, a thread, a serpent will be inaugurated on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM at Valico della Crocetta, during the seventh edition of the Festa della Via della Lana e della Seta (June 28–29, 2025). The event celebrates the evocative trail between Montepiano and Castiglione dei Pepoli, conceived by Vito Paticchia and opened in 2018.
The sculpture—accessible on foot with a guided trek from Montepiano (departing at 2:00 PM) or by car—is the result of an environmental regeneration project. It appears as a large serpent winding through the vegetation, made from locally gathered stones and reclaimed materials, combined with terracotta elements specially crafted by the artist in workshops involving local families and institutions.
The workshop, an essential part of the creative process, began with a walk through the forests and waterways of the Via della Lana e della Seta. Along the way, participants collected soils, bark, and plants, later transformed into natural pigments used to decorate the tiles that make up the sculpture. This collective act forges a material and emotional connection between the artwork and its landscape: a story that intertwines river, path, and serpent.
The serpent, a recurring figure in Chiara Camoni’s practice, here takes on a specific meaning: it refers to the mythical Serpent Regolo, a legendary creature whose name—meaning “little king”—suggests a quiet, hidden power that blends with the earth. The artist chose a non-monumental approach, placing the sculpture dry-laid so that grasses, roots, and plants can grow into it over time. Like Regolo, the artwork seeks an open, evolving form—emerging from and sinking back into the ground—becoming both story and landscape.
The work is curated by the Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato and produced as part of the Land Art project along the Via della Lana e della Seta, supported by the Municipality of Prato, co-financed by the Tuscany Region within the framework of the ESF – European Social Fund Call, and carried out in collaboration with Proloco Montepiano, Fondazione CDSE, Visentium, and Appennino Slow.