Piazza Italia

Piazza Italia was the result of a $3.5 million addition to Argyle Square on Lygon Street in 2006. Argyle Square is situation off Lygon Street in the suburb of Carlton between Gratton and Queensberry Streets.

Lygon Street, Carlton has long been associated with Italian migration to Melbourne, still evident through the number of Italian restaurants present there today. Italian migration to the area commenced at the turn of the last century and peaked in the post WW2 period.


The work consciously sought site-specific inspiration through its referencing to the Italian influence to the area and was was developed by artists Andrea Tomaselli and Diane Beevers.




The work is a 45 square metre solar clock made up of porphyry stone paving.

The work is interesting not only for its aesthetic qualities but that its creation involved collaboration between specialist Italian stone-masons who came to Australia to undertake the work with Australian stone-masons. Australian stone-masons also traveled to Italy as part of the same artistic-exchange.

References:
City of Melbourne website
History of Carlton web resource