“Sol omnibus lucet” garden in Massa Marittima

It is called Sol omnibus lucet ("the Sun shines for all"), the sculpture garden created by Maria Dompè for the town of Massa Marittima. Dedicated to Massa partisan Norma Parenti, a gold medalist for military valor, the garden is a small green space within the town. Here the artist has shaped the earth like a sculpture, with spiral shapes and Latin mottos, all surrounded by Mediterranean herbs, with a beautiful view of the valley and classical music playing.

The garden develops in a spiroidal circle, with centripetal trajectories determined by grassy green paths alternating with paths paved with the original stone of the site. The movements of the earth, together with those of the stone, create a rhythmic undulation, a symbol of energy propagation. The modular reliefs of the ground are contained by slabs made of cor-ten metal, a material in which wear and tear, consisting of rust, acquires specificity and aesthetic characteristic. The whole is accompanied by Latin phrases, which refer to our connection with the past. From here, visitors can also enjoy a magnificent view of the Maremma valleys.

In the center of the work we can admire a geometric sculptural form that constitutes a veritable "wishing well," in which some students from the primary and secondary schools of Massa Marittima, the future citizens of Massa Marittima, have buried some "thoughts-desires". These thoughts, inscribed in unbreakable tablets and then sealed in a metal container, will be stored here for a few years. The well will guard them until the future day when they will be shared with the entire community.