SHARRYLAND
The Place of Cardinal Points
Where the earth dialogues with the stars
Where is
What it is and where it is
On June 21, a little magic happens in Taino's public park. A majestic view of Lake Maggiore and the peaks of Monte Rosa opens up before us. In the heart of the park, at the "Place of the Four Cardinal Points," a ray of sunlight makes its way up a tall pillar. At noon the ray reaches a gap and filters through to the opposite side, illuminating a specific spot. It is the sign we have been waiting for: the ray celebrates the summer solstice, while the tall pillar, like the gnomon of a sundial, reminds us of the cycles of time, of life, of man.
Why it is special
In this park, created by Giò Pomodoro, every shape has a precise symbolic meaning, often inspired by Greek myths: the tall gnomon, the sphere, the circle, the moon, the stairs, the walls framing the spaces... Seen from above, it looks like the ruin of an ancient, sacred place.
Not to be missed
On the central Platform is drawn in gray and red porphyry a double spiral: it alludes to the ancient "dance of the cranes," the Greek myth about Theseus who, having emerged from the labyrinth with the help of Ariadne, lands in Delos and offers the god Apollo a dance that winds in labyrinthine evolutions. But the spiral also reminds us of the double helix of DNA, at the origin of human existence, and the double snake, symbol of Hermes, the Greek messenger god of the gods, who guides us on the long journey of life. It is up to you to look for other symbols and messages!
A bit of history
In 1981 Gio' Pomodoro, invited by the mayor at the time, Tullio Berrini, visited Taino and the area overlooking Lake Maggiore for the first time, on which it was the intention of the municipal administration to build a public park. The artist fell in love with this place and drew inspiration from it for his project, which he materialized in 1991: "a public park intended as an urban area of compensation, reflection, rest and contemplation." At the center of the park is the sculpture, in dialogue with the landscape, history, myths, and stars, almost a link between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
Curiosity
The materials chosen by Pomodoro for the park's sculptures and walls all come from the moraine hills of Lake Maggiore: granite from Montorfano, pink from Baveno, green from Mergozzo, gray beola from Valdossola, black serizzo from the Vigezzo Valley, porphyry from Quasso al Monte, and yellow sandstone from Angera. Among the signs left by Giò Pomodoro is a dolphin carved on the highest pylon: it was made by his son on his instructions: in fact, he wanted the dolphin because it was sacred to Apollo, the sun god.
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