Site Transitoire

A magic place in the heart of the crete senesi (Sienese clay landscape)

Site Transitoire, Asciano, Province of Siena, Italy

The Site Transitoire is a work of art, in the middle of the crete senesi between the Leonina and Mucigliani areas of the comune (municipality) of Asciano. In 1993, the French artist Jean-Paul Philippe created this stone sculpture, composed of several elements: a seat that welcomes the traveller, who can choose to sit, stand or lie on it, and a large window, inside which the sunlight is framed at sunset on the summer solstice. On the day of the solstice, the sun sets in the opening of the great stone window, creating a truly magical spectacle. The work is located in a quiet area, where art and nature meet, producing an incredible view across the crete senesi.

The artist says of his work: “Completing this piece, installing those stones, I realised that they outlined in light and space the boundaries of a house: a residence without walls and with an invisible threshold. A few slabs on the ground, a seat to welcome passers-by, a bench, a window, and the vault of the sky for a roof”.

I Comuni di Terre di Siena