20 Years of the Carapace: Tenute Lunelli celebrate Arnaldo Pomodoro’s vision

The twentieth anniversary referred to 2005, when Arnaldo Pomodoro first conceived the Carapace after visiting the Lunelli family’s Umbrian estate. The project followed the 2001 acquisition of historic vineyards in Montefalco and Bevagna and the first Montefalco Sagrantino vintage in 2003.

Pomodoro envisioned a dome emerging from the earth. Its tortoise-shell form symbolises longevity and connects the building with Sagrantino’s ageing capacity; fissures in its copper surface echo vineyard furrows, while a red dart enters the ground beside it. The completed sculpture-winery opened in 2012.

The anniversary also recalled the UNESCO Club La Fabbrica nel Paesaggio award, presentation at the Venice Biennale and the 2024 World’s Best Vineyards ranking. It traced the family’s relationship with Pomodoro back to Gino Lunelli’s first meeting with him in 1984 and subsequent commissions in 1992 and 2002.