Gardens of the Pierre Gianadda Foundation

29 June 2021

The gardens of the Pierre Gianadda Foundation in Martigny (Canton of Valais) feature interesting Gallo-Roman remains and a rich flora in a setting of ponds, streams, and rocks.

Each ancient building shown inside the Fondation belonged to a large sacred enclosure, a temenos, measuring 85 m in width and more than 135 m in length.

The indigenous temple was built at the time of the Celts, about 50 BC. A Celtic Mercury was adored there. The wall of the sacred enclosure was constructed about 50 AD. The temenos included Roman bathhouses and staterooms.

Sculptures occupy an increasingly important place. The 1991 Swiss sculpture exhibition marked the beginning. Since then, the park has presented new exhibitions every year, often in addition to the Foundation’s exhibitions in the museum.

The foundation continues to expand its collection of sculptures. Today, there are forty-seven works in the park, created by the greatest artists and new talents. The park is open to the public.

(Source and further information: Fondation Pierre Gianadda (www.gianadda.ch); Léonard Gianadda, La Sculpture et la Fondation, Martigny, 2008).