LECCE – In Lecce the stone has the color of the sunsets that touch it, so yellow and soft that you want to caress it while houses, churches, monuments observe the centuries chasing each other between anthropomorphic balconies, mysterious alleys and majestic architecture in a surreal silence that only at times he indulges in the noise of holidays.
Concentrated on such magnificence, you certainly don’t expect to be overwhelmed by a lesson in artistic flair just by crossing the historic square of the city, Piazza Sant’Oronzo; lightness perhaps forgivable to tourists, but certainly not to the people of Salento who, however, every day walk far and wide along the walking street, forgetting to turn their gaze towards the wall of the building that houses the Banco di Napoli to pay homage to the monumental clock which has been on display with dignity and a hint of pride since the 1950s, so much so that it has earned the nickname of the Clock of Wonders.
There is no need to stop and admire it, it would be asking too much of a world that lives in constant trouble, but as a sign of respect and gratitude, at least a fleeting glance would be desirable.
The Clock of Wonders does not have anything special because it is itself a peculiarity, a variant on the baroque theme that fits into urban architecture with the same pleasant effect as a poppy sprouting in the middle of a wheat field.
Proudly Salento, the Clock of Wonders was created in 1955 on commission from the Italian Commercial Bank by Francesco Barbieri who certainly did not skimp on inventiveness, materials and dimensions: a work in bronze and enamelled copper weighing 20 quintals, 10 meters high, 3 meters wide, 3 years and 6 months of work, of which 9 months were used to join the various pieces with 52 castings.
At the end of the undertaking, the Domenica del Corriere paid homage to the artist with a table illustrated by Walter Molino which communicated to the whole of Italy that: “After three years and six months of work, Francesco Barbieri of San Cesario, built the clock largest in the world, for the tower of Sant’Oronzo in Lecce”.
Undeniable and deserved satisfaction for the sculptor who, born in San Cesario in 1908, after his academic training in Lecce, toured Italy, living for a long time in Milan and taking part in artistic events in which he stood out for his avant-garde style despite firm in its southern origins.
The sacred and the profane merge in the Clock of Wonders, in perfect spiritual communion with the city that hosts it, which is also sacred and profane like a secular Magdalene, but the point of view from below is not ideal for unearthing the details and it is therefore advisable to arrive prepared for the meeting, also because no one has ever thought of creating an explanatory panel.
Starting from what does not immediately catch the eye, looking behind the case, it is possible to see the rectangular base in mosaic and Venetian enamel with a copper frame on which the entire structure is based, divided into three parts: lower, central and upper.
In the lower part there is the loggia of the clock dial with a shape that resembles an eye whose pupil, of a magnificent blue enamel, houses the Roman numerals that mark the hours interspersed with figures borrowed from tarot cards: love, justice , the fortress, the devil, the ace of coins, the ace of clubs, the seven of coins, the princes, the sword with the crown, the cufflinks with the Sun, the water, the vase of flowers.
Continuing the exploration of the eye-dial, the iris, of a fascinating red color, is pierced by the hands: at the end of the one that marks the hours are the Polar Star and the Seraph, the singing rooster and the first phase of the moon instead, decorate the one that marks the minutes; finally, the orbit is a shell that offers a home to Aeolus, a compass and the stars accompanied by the phases of the moon.
The gaze rises towards the large central fan of clear astrological inspiration: in an earthly celestial vault, the Constellation of the Big Dipper and the Polar Star meet, central elements of the composition, on the sides of which, like a small house, 12 boxes enameled with a shaded blue, they contain the months of the year.
A touch of baroque with the floral elements placed on the sides of the fan reassures and brings you back to reality.
The upper part is interesting, with elements that pay homage to the coat of arms of the Terra d’Otranto, with a variation on the theme: in addition to the dolphin and the crescent, the sun and olive and pomegranate branches also appear, symbol and auspice of a flourishing and fruitful land .
The astrological reference of the central part is also taken up in the upper part, but in this case, the painting is enriched with elements of a divine nature, since in addition to the 12 zodiac signs placed in a semicircular frame it is possible to admire, towards the outside, a on the left the Archangel Gabriel with his arms raised and on the right the Virgin receiving the Annunciation.
A sun explodes with its yellow enamel and bronze rays, bringing attention back to the center, where in the frame of the zodiac the Chariot of the Sun, with its quadriga of horses, transports Phoebus.
Natural carelessness and little affection for public things has, over the years, allowed the Clock of Wonders to be covered by the dust of time, an unforgivable affront for a clock, in fact, despite its magnificence, it has surrendered, stopping its hands, until to a few years ago, when the intervention of the Banco di Napoli and the work of the team of professional restorers of the Emilio Colaci company of Alessano, brought it back to its ancient splendor, giving it new life thanks also to the power of the media which reported and spread its history transforming it into a destination worthy of tourist attention.
by Claudia Forcignanò
