05 Mar Zattaron
Venice foundations consist of thousands of timber poles, driven into the lagoon till they reach the ‘caranto’ layer (a mixture of solid clay and sand situated at great depths). Being surrounded by salty mud, the wood has turned to stone. This first level supports the ‘zattaron’, a sort of pontoon made of two layers of wooden planks set in concrete. The ‘zattaron’ is the base on which are placed the Istria Stone foundations of the buildings. In spite of everything Venice is still fighting against the muddy ground and the ever increasing water level. Zattaron is a tribute to this millennial struggle, it is a stool obtained from a slice of Venetian palina, dried and cemented using a transparent glass-like resin that incorporates and protects the preciously jagged natural edge. The seat is in turn supported by a maze of naturally oxidised steel rods, irregularly tilted and welded to the base, which further characterise the uniqueness of each single piece. Zattaron seems to be unable, just like the image of Venice foundation, however, it proves solitand ready for a long existence, such as the long one of the that inspires it.
