“The little girl’s three peaks”
This artwork stems from a simple, universal memory: a little girl playing at the foot of the Three Peaks of Monte Bondone—a place where nature, freedom, and imagination converge.
The figure of the girl embodies childhood, lightheartedness, and time spent in the open air. The balloon—taking the form of the three peaks as the wind carries it away—becomes a symbol of growing dreams, freedom, and those emotions that, even as they drift away, continue to live on within us.
The hay forming her silhouette comes from Monte Bondone, guardian of a precious natural heritage of meadows rich in wildflowers and wild herbs. For centuries, this “green treasure” has been harvested not only as animal fodder but also for traditional hay baths—treatments renowned for their restorative properties and still cherished in local wellness centers today.
Rising in the background are the Three Peaks of Monte Bondone, which have long dominated the landscape of the Viote basin: Monte Cornetto, Doss d’Abramo, and Cima Verde. These mountains represent more than just a natural skyline; they tell the story, traditions, and identity of this place.
Standing out among them is Doss d’Abramo, linked to an ancient legend passed down through the ages. It is said that a large iron ring once sat atop its summit—a ring to which Noah supposedly moored his Ark during the Great Flood. This folk tale lends the mountain an aura of mystery and spirituality, transforming the landscape into a place where nature and myth coexist.
This work is a tribute to Monte Bondone: to its scents, the wind sweeping across the meadows, childhood games, and the stories that make this region unique. Every element was chosen to preserve a fragment of the place’s memory, inviting the viewer to rediscover its beauty with a simple, authentic gaze. The Origin of the Name Bondone
The name Bondone has ancient roots. According to toponymic studies, it likely derives from the Gallic term bunda—a word referring to the ground, a basin, or a depression in the terrain. It is no coincidence that this term appears frequently in the place names of mountainous areas, where the landscape’s contours often inspired the naming of locations.
Understanding the origin of the name Bondone adds another piece to the story of this mountain—a territory that, beyond its extraordinary natural beauty, preserves within its very name the memory of the ancient peoples who once inhabited it.