The Steps of the Sonnet
Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani’s Monumental Garden in Vaslanzibio
7 steps (the perfect number) with 2 verses per step
Curioso viator che in questa parte
Giungi e credi mirar vaghezze rare
Quanto di bel, quanto di buon qui appare
Tutto deesi a Natura e nulla ad Arte
Qui il Sol splendenti i raggi suoi comparte
Venere qui più bella esce dal mare
Sue sembianze la Luna ha qui più chiare
Qui non giunge a turbar furor di Marte
Saturno quivi i parti suoi non rode
Qui Giove giova et ha sereno il viso
Quivi perde Mercurio ogni sua frode
Qui non ha loco il Pianto, ha sede il Riso
Della Corte il fulmine qui non s’ode
Ivi è l’Inferno e quivi il Paradiso
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Way to read the sonnet of the steps and its translation: start from the top, 1st
step with two verses, toward the bottom, 7th step with the last two verses.
Curioso viator che in questa parte Giungi e credi mirar vaghezze rare
Curios voyager that in this location Arrive and think of admiring rare things
Quanto di bel, quanto di buon qui appare Tutto deesi a Natura e nulla ad Arte
Whatever beautiful & good you will see here Everything is thank to nature and not art
Qui il Sol splendenti i raggi suoi comparte Venere qui più bella esce dal mare
Here the sun rays are even more bright Here Venus is even more beautiful
Sue sembianze la Luna ha qui più chiare Qui non giunge a turbar furor di Marte
The moon is here even more shining Here Mars’ rage is banish
Saturno quivi i parti suoi non rode Qui Giove giova et ha sereno il viso
Here Saturn does not eat his own children Here Jupiter is happy and smiling
Quivi perde Mercurio ogni sua frode Qui non ha loco il Pianto, ha sede il Riso
Here Mercury loses all his fraud Here you do not cry, but you laugh
Della Corte il fulmine qui non s’ode Ivi è l’Inferno e quivi il Paradiso
Venice’s problems from here are not heard There is Hell and here Paradise
–————————————————
Interpretation of the sonnet of the steps
Curios traveler that in this location Arrive and think of admiring rare things
Whatever beautiful, whatever good you will see here It is thank to the work of nature and not thank to the hand of man
Here the sun rays are even more bright Here Venus is even more beautiful
The moon is here even more shining Mars’s rage (the fury of the God of war) is here banish
(because Valsanzibio is a place of peace and tranquility!)
Saturn here does not eat his own children (it underlines, once again, that this location is a place of peace and
tranquility – thanks to the Barbarigo that in 1620, once they bought all the land in Valsanzibio, have put an end
to the arguments/wars among venetian nobles: Contarini, Michiel and Barbarigo)
Here Jupiter is happy and he is smiling (Jupiter, the God that regulates the weather, protects the garden and
distributes the right amount of sun and rain fundamental for maintaining Valsanzibio healthy)
Mercury (the God protector of the dealers and the thieves) here is at rest and loses all his fraud (again
the aspect of peace and tranquility of this location is underlined) Here you do not cry, but you laugh
The troubles/problems of Venice (la Corte) from here are not heard In Venice there is Hell and here instead there is Paradise
–————————————————
The author of the sonnet of the steps is unknown, even if it is likely that the sonnet was written by Gregorio Barbarigo himself. By the steps of the sonnet there is a third water game that, like the two ones by the previous Fountain of the Tricks or Water Games, has a precise role. In fact, the ‘Voyager’ of Valsanzibio, is now next to the final goal. In a few meters there is the Square of the Revelations, final objective of the all purification path started a long time before at the Diana’s Pavilion. Eager of getting the revelations, the traveler would like to rush up the stairs, but the water game blocks his run allowing him to notice and read the sonnet itself…only now the Square of the Revelations, with all the answers looked for, become finally accessible for the ‘Voyager’.
The engravings ('Distici') of the Statues
DIANE’S DOORWAY
Outside
Diane:
“Al Monte al Colle al Pian Diana impera.”
Diane’s dog facing south
(looking towards the Vatican):
“In battaglia fedel, vigile in pace.”
Diane’s dog facing North
(looking towards the Lutheran’s Germany):
“Guarda l’inferno, no, ma il paradiso.”
Atteone
(on the left of the doorway):
“Cangi forma Atteon se muove il piede.”
Endimione
(on the right of the doorway):
“Puote solo Endimione fermar la luna”
Inside parapet
(4 Statues)
Apollo:
“Che non è Sole il Sole se non è solo.”
Giove:
“E solo a giovar Giove fu detto.”
Ercole:
“Vinse Alcide fanciul Homo fu vinto.”
Mercurio:
“Nella lingua Mercurio e nella mano.”
–————————————————
FISHERY OF THE RIVERS
River on the right:
“Riposa il fiume e non riposa l’Onda.”
River on the left:
“Per culla ha il monte, e ha per tomba il mare.”
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FISHERY OF THE WINDS
“Dei venti Eolo signor, e i scioglie, e i leva
Nel sen Deiopea riposa il vento;
Sconvolge Borea il mar, Scuote la Terra.
Più che soave qui Zefiro spira.”
Youngsters:
“Con l’aure scherza, e fa del nulla gioco
Del Cigno, e del candor si veste, e ride.”
–————————————————
THE 4 STATUES OF
THE PILA’S FOUNTAIN
Argo:
“E ne fu con cent’occhi Argo il custode.”
Mercurio:
“E ne portò Mercurio il gran messaggio.”
Salubrità:
“Trovi Salubrità chi cerca vita.”
Fecondità:
“Che la Fecondità del mondo è madre.”
–————————————————
THE 4 STATUES OF
THE WATER TRICKS’ FOUNTAIN
Polifemo:
“Polifemo tra ciechi Argo rasembra.”
Tifeo:
“Né gionse al ciel Tifeo benché gigante.”
Flora:
“Portando in grembo Flora i colti fiori.”
Ope:
“De la Terra Ope Dea, dei Dei la Madre.”
–————————————————
THE FOUNTAIN OF THE WATER TRICKS
“Non sta sempre tra i fiori nascosto l’Angue.”
–————————————————
MONUMENT TO TIME
“Volan col Tempo l’Hore, e fuggon gli anni.”
–————————————————
THE 8 STATUES OF
THE SQUARE OF REVELATIONS
Diletto:
“Regnan le Grazie ove Diletto impera.”
Allegrezza:
“Allegrezza non dà gemina morte.”
Ozio/Riposo:
“Del moto al fin l’Ocio e la quiete è la fine.”
Agricoltura:
“Ogni virtude Agricoltura pasce.”
Genio (dell’Agricoltura):
“De l’arbitrio la forza il Genio sforza.”
Solitudine:
“Angel divien chi in solitudine vive.”
Adone:
“Di predator preda rimase Adone.”
Abbondanza:
“Spande i tesor né l’Abondanza scema.”
–————————————————
As in the case of the Sonnet of the Steps, the author is also unknown for the engravings under all the Statues. Most likely, they all were inspired and suggested by the two Barbarigo’s brothers, the Cardinal Gregorio and the ‘Procuratore di San Marco’ Antonio.