Today Bolsena is looking towards contemporary art together with Civita di Bagnoregio. Their joint bid is one of the four finalists for the title of Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2028, with the project Arte che viene, arte che va.
But the town’s relationship with contemporary art did not begin today.
Walking along the Bolsena lakeside, on Viale Luigi Cadorna, close to the Fish Hatchery, visitors come across a large stone sculpture: Grande Pietra Aperta, created in 1974 by Lorenzo Guerrini.
Grande Pietra Aperta
by Lake Bolsena
The sculpture is made up of large stone volumes, with textured surfaces and openings that allow the surrounding space to become visually part of the work.
Its title, Grande Pietra Aperta, or “Great Open Stone”, also reflects this contrast between the solidity of the material and its opening towards the surrounding space.
Its present-day location creates a particularly striking relationship with the landscape: seen from different angles, the stone meets the water and the horizon of Lake Bolsena in the background.
Who was Lorenzo Guerrini?
Lorenzo Guerrini (1914–2002) was a 20th-century Italian sculptor whose artistic research focused extensively on stone and on the relationship between matter, form and space.
Throughout his career, his work was featured in major exhibitions, and in 1985 the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome dedicated a retrospective exhibition to him. That same year, Guerrini was appointed a member of the Accademia di San Luca.
Lorenzo Guerrini and Bolsena
The relationship between Guerrini and Bolsena goes beyond Grande Pietra Aperta.
In 1988, the sculptor donated several of his works to the Municipality of Bolsena. That same year, the San Francesco spaces hosted an exhibition dedicated to his work, featuring sculptures and works on paper.
The exhibition was also accompanied by the catalogue Guerrini. Annullamento del tempo, published by Città di Bolsena Editrice.
This direct connection with the town allows Grande Pietra Aperta to be understood not as an isolated work, but as part of a broader story linking Bolsena with contemporary art.
From the San Francesco Theatre to the lakeside
Grande Pietra Aperta has not always stood in its current location.
For many years, the sculpture was positioned near the entrance to the San Francesco Municipal Theatre, in the centre of Bolsena.
It was later moved to the lakeside, along Viale Luigi Cadorna, where the surrounding landscape has now become part of the way the sculpture is perceived.
Bolsena and contemporary art, between history and the future
More than fifty years after it was created, Grande Pietra Aperta continues to be part of the landscape of Bolsena.
Today, this presence takes on a particularly meaningful role. The joint bid by Civita di Bagnoregio and Bolsena for the title of Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2028 looks towards the future, while also offering an opportunity to rediscover the traces that contemporary art has already left across the area.
One of those traces is right here, just a few steps from the water.
The next time you walk along the Bolsena lakeside, stop and take a closer look at Grande Pietra Aperta. A sculpture created in 1974 that still brings together art, stone, space and landscape today.
