7 June – 2 November 2025

Exhibition project for the Archaeological Museum of the Collegiate Church and the Municipality of Casole d’Elsa.

Curated by: Tuscany Region & Italy-Japan Foundation

Sponsored by: Banca Cambiano & Sensi Arte Gallery

In resonance with current trends toward the decentralization of culture—where art lives not only in major centers and exhibition spaces, but also reaches closer to citizens and local communities—the artist Toni Alfano and the Municipality of Casole d’Elsa present the exhibition project “Amore Sacro Amor Profano,” held under the patronage of the Tuscany Region and the Italy-Japan Foundation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The exhibition represents a dialogue between ancient and contemporary art, as well as a broader conversation between West and East, bringing together figures and symbols from both cultures.

Toni Alfano has chosen to live in Casole d’Elsa, a distinguished Tuscan village which has enjoyed a renewed and growing cultural fervor in recent years.

The dialogue between his Eastern-inspired works and the museum's historical collection arose naturally. These themes, figures, and emotions are the very same depicted in the art of all eras and places: from 6th-century BC Etruria to 17th-century Japan, right up to the present day. His descialbo technique also serves as a bridge between archaeology and contemporary art, linking past and future.

Casole d’Elsa has always been a town rich in art and culture. It is here that the extraordinary sculpture of a female deity, known as the “Testa Bargagli,” was unearthed, and where artists such as Alessandro Casolani and Augusto Bastianini were born and active.

The exhibition features a selection of works (including portraits, fragments, and drawings) alongside a site-specific piece created especially for the museum as a tribute to the “Testa Bargagli.”