Official Web site: Parco del Valentino
Photos by Lucia Ranieri
Valentino Park, located on the banks of the Po, covers an area of over 420,000 square meters and is one of the most appreciated parks by Turin residents and tourists.
The origin of the name is uncertain. It seems that, in Roman times, there was an ancient chapel dedicated to Saint Valentine in the area. It also housed part of the saint’s relics.
Documents from 1275, however, speak of Vallantinum, indicating a small valley parallel to the Po where a stream flowed.
It also seems that the Valentine’s Day celebration began here. Every year, on February 14, the nobility gathered to participate in a gala where each woman called her knight Valentino.
What we know for sure is that initially there was a villa inhabited by the Birago family. The villa and the entire surrounding area were then sold to Emanuele Filiberto. Over time, it became what we now know as the Valentino Castle.
The history of Valentino Park
Starting from the 1800s, Valentino Park hosted several exhibitions. The most important of these is probably the Italian General Exhibition of 1884. For this occasion, the Medieval Village was built within the park. The project was by the Portuguese Alfredo d’Andrade, a scholar of the medieval era.
Valentino Park also hosted the Italian General Exhibition of 1898, from which we have the Fountain of the Twelve Months, and the International Exhibition of Turin of 1911.
Other floral exhibitions, such as the one in 1961 for the centenary of the unification of Italy, left us the Rock Garden, as well as flower beds, fountains, and streams scattered throughout the park.
Since the early 2000s, there has been an attempt to redevelop the park with modern artistic works such as the bench of the lovers’ lamp posts.
Finally, in 2022, further redevelopment work began on the park, which is expected to be completed by 2026.
The goal is to reorganize the greenery, eliminate asphalt, and restore the various premises along the Po.
The Rock Garden
Created for the 1961 Exhibition by Giuseppe Ratti.
It is a characteristic garden with paths, resting areas, and streams that cross the entire garden. It was expanded a few years later, in 1965, with the creation of a rose garden that includes over 2000 rose bushes.
Currently, the garden covers an area of about 44,000 square meters, and numerous flower beds are created with each change of season.
The Fountain of Twelve Months
The fountain is a work designed by Carlo Ceppi for the 1898 Exhibition, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Albertine Statute. It is the only composition from that exhibition that has remained to this day.
The fountain features a crenellated facade with a large central basin, into which a waterfall flows with a capacity of 600 liters of water per second. On the terrace of the basin, there are four statues representing the rivers that flow through Turin: the Po, the Dora, the Stura, and the Sangone.
On the balustrade, there are twelve allegorical figures representing the months of the year. Hence the name Fountain of the Twelve Months (or Four Seasons). Ordinarily, the basin also included the sculpture of a mermaid drawn by three swans and two groups of putti indicating Peace and War.
Legends
The Fountain of the Twelve Months is also famous for the legends that accompany it. It is said to be built at the exact spot where Phaethon fell with the Chariot of the Sun, founding Turin.
Even more curious is the presence of Karl Marx. The statue representing the Po is depicted as a middle-aged man, bare-chested, sitting on a small boat. At his feet are putti and a trident. However, the face of the statue, framed by tousled hair and a long beard, is incredibly similar to the philosopher Karl Marx.
Don’t believe me? Compare the two photos below. On one side, the statue sculpted by Luigi Contratti, on the other, the photo taken by the London photographers Mayall around 1870, when he was just over 50 years old.
I don’t know how widespread these photos were in the late 19th century, but it still seems unlikely that Carlo Ceppi (an aristocrat and architect of sacred sites) would have deliberately depicted Marx. It could have been Luigi Contratti, the author of the statue, or some worker, but this also seems improbable. Perhaps it is just a coincidence. What is certain is that the resemblance is truly impressive!
Monument to the Artilleryman of Valentino Park
The Monument to the Artilleryman is a triumphal arch located at the north entrance of the park, near Ponte Umberto I. It was erected to celebrate the Artillery Corps, which distinguished itself in World War I at the Battle of the Piave in 1918.
Designed by Pietro Canonica in 1926, in a style very similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, it was only inaugurated in 1930. Construction proceeded slowly due to a continuous lack of funds.
On the outside of the arch, there are four reliefs representing the military corps, while in the center there is a statue dedicated to Saint Barbara, the patron saint of artificers.