12th April | Abbazia di San Galgano
OPENING Saturday 12th April 2025, 4,30 p.m.
12th April – 30th September 2025
On the occasion of the 2025 Jubilee, the historic Abbey of San Galgano will light up in a new light thanks to the art of Helidon Xhixha, the world-famous Italian-Albanian sculptor, known for his use of polished stainless steel, who has chosen one of the most mystical and fascinating places in Tuscany as a treasure chest for some of his large installations.
Xhixha presents “Luce Divina” in San Galgano, a monumental work that combines spirituality and modernity through a seven-meter steel cross that interacts with natural light, transforming itself into a symbol of faith, hope and reflection.
Until September 30, 2025 it will be possible to admire the cross and other monumental works of the visionary artist that will make San Galgano one of the most evocative cultural destinations of summer 2025.
Xhixha was struck by the mystical charm of the Abbey of San Galgano, a roofless Gothic church, immersed in the green hills of Siena. A place where spirituality and nature come together.
The artist chose this site for its strong symbolic value: decadence and rebirth, history and modernity, faith and art meet in a visual dialogue that invites reflection.
Xhixha’s works take advantage of natural light to create an immersive experience, involving visitors in a journey through art, history and spirituality.
Positioned next to the Abbey, “Luce Divina” the seven-meter shiny stainless steel cross reflects sunlight, amplifying its intensity and creating a visual dialogue with the spirituality of the place.
The work is part of a context rich in history and sacredness, welcoming pilgrims with its flashes that recall the transcendent and the infinite.
The work is ideally linked to the legend of San Galgano, the knight converted into a hermit who stuck his sword in the stone at the nearby Chapel of Montesiepi, a symbol of peace and renunciation of war.
The other sculptures in San Galgano
Next to the cross, the exhibition is enriched with further stainless steel sculptures, positioned in different points of the Abbey:
Bay of Light, Reflexes, Venus and Pyramid of Light: installed between the majestic naves of the Abbey, they will create an evocative play of reflections and shapes, multiplying the effect of the Gothic arches and the fusion between architecture and nature.
Inner Peace: located in the restored sacristy, it represents the search for inner peace and spirituality in the silence of the sacred.
Xhixha‘s works, thanks to their ability to reflect the surrounding environment, will involve the viewer, transforming them into an integral part of the installation.
