The Winged Lion of Martalar for the UNESCO anniversary of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene

A monumental work to celebrate art, nature and Venetian roots.

On the sixth anniversary of the UNESCO recognition of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, Marco Martalar’s Winged Lion was inaugurated in Tarzo. Made with natural and recycled materials, the work is a symbol of rebirth and identity.

Tarzo (TV), 05 August 2025 – A great celebration between art, nature and Venetian identity marked the sixth anniversary of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated on Tuesday 5 August with the official inauguration of the Winged Lion, a monumental sculpture in wood signed by the artist Marco Martalar. Over 7 meters high and 10 meters long, the work – located in front of Lake Revine in Tarzo, Fratta – has already entered history as the largest wooden lion in the world. A new symbol for the territory, capable of intertwining tradition, memory and contemporary vision.

The Lion of Tarzo is much more than a work of art –comments the President of the Veneto Region Luca Zaia – it is an identity manifesto that celebrates the strength, history and rebirth of our territory. Six years after UNESCO recognition, the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene confirm themselves as an extraordinary laboratory of culture, landscape and contemporary creativity, capable of combining tradition and innovation, roots and vision. Marco Martalar is a very talented Venetian sculptor, who was able to transform the wound left by the Vaia storm into a message of beauty and hope. His monumental sculptures –made from the wood of felled trees – have already become widespread symbols throughout the Veneto and beyond: from Jesolo to Gallio, from Venice to Padua, up to the Altopiano dei Sette Comuni. Today, with the Lion of Tarzo, he gives our landscape a work that tells of our deepest identity, intertwining art, nature and community. I thank the UNESCO Association for the Heritage of the Hills for this project that combines cultural value, visual impact and sustainability, enhancing recycled materials coming from these very lands. A work that speaks to the world and that honors a territory that knows how to look forward, without ever forgetting its roots.

Made with natural materials recovered from the woods of the Venetian mountains felled by the Vaia storm and vine shoots from the Hills – donated by the Rebuli company of Valdobbiadene to compose the scenic mane – the Lion represents the strength and pride of the territory, while evoking the historical bond between the people of the mountains, the hills and the lagoon of Venice. Symbol of the Serenissima, the lion here becomes a bridge between past and future, recovering the memory of the transport of wood along the rivers towards the lagoon city and transforming it into an artistic message of rebirth and shared identity.

This work, commissioned by the Association’s Board of Directors already in 2022 for its extraordinary symbolic value, and which the artist was able to create in 2025 given his numerous commitments, is an example of Land Art capable of communicating with the landscape and with our history – comments Marina Montedoro, president of the Association for the heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. An artistic approach that is part of significant experiences such as that of Arte Sella, where nature is not just a background, but a living material and inspiration of the work itself. Marco Martalar’s Lion has its roots in the history of Veneto, recalls the symbol of the Serenissima and affirms the central role of our Hills, recognized six years ago as a World Heritage Site, today protagonists not only for their scenic beauty, but also for their ability to inspire culture, vision and contemporaneity. The work fits with great harmony and respect into the natural context of Lake Tarzo, the only natural lake in the Alta Marca, enriching it without altering it and transforming it into a space of public and shared art. Also particularly significant is the use of recycled and recycled materials, all from this same territory: vine shoots from our hills, wood felled by the Vaia storm, natural fragments which, instead of being destined for waste, were masterfully transformed by Marco into beauty and memory. It is an artistic choice, but also an ethical one, which speaks of sustainability, rooting in the territory and creative rebirth. We believe that art and culture are powerful tools for looking at nature in a new way, the same nature that can be a destructive, but also regenerative force. The Lion, symbol of Veneto, moves exactly in this direction.

The Lion stands alongside other famous creations by Martalar, whose works are born from an intense relationship with nature, thanks to a technique called assemblage, which weaves a load-bearing structure with hundreds of wooden elements collected in the woods, such as the Deer of the Dolomites, the Aquila Vaia of Marcesina and the Custos of the Certosa Island in Venice.

I have been working here in Tarzo for four months now, between the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene – declares artist Marco Martalar. In this time I learned about the territory not only from a landscape point of view, but above all from a human point of view. Every evening, after work, I discovered taverns, farmhouses, small restaurants, each with its own identity and flavours. An experience that made me feel part of this land. But what I carry inside me most is the relationship with the community: as the days passed, a true bond was created, a sense of friendship and sharing. I hope that my Leo knows how to return at least part of what I have received from this place. This sculpture was born as a reflection on the fragility of nature, but also on its ability to regenerate. With the recycled materials used, wood felled by the Vaia storm and vine shoots from the hills destined for waste, I wanted to tell how something powerful, symbolic, alive can emerge from the destruction too. The strength of the lion is that of nature itself, which despite everything, resists, adapts, and continues to generate beauty.

This work – comments the mayor of Tarzo Gianangelo Bof – is a precious gift for our Municipality, not only for its artistic value, but for the strong symbolic meaning it brings with it. We are in a special place, among the only lakes on the Hills, and we believe that this sculpture can truly represent the thousand-year history of our landscape. It is a project that talks about nature, memory and the future, made with environmentally friendly and recycled materials, which integrate perfectly with the surrounding environment. I thank the Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, for choosing Tarzo as the site of this very significant installation. In recent months we have had the opportunity to closely follow the work of the artist Marco Martalar: his ability to interpret the spirit of the place and transform it into art has been surprising. As a community we are proud to welcome this work and those who created it, and we hope that Marco felt in Tarzo not only a work space, but also a territory that welcomed him with warmth and friendship.

Six years after the prestigious UNESCO recognition, the Colline del Prosecco area confirms itself as a living place, capable of combining landscape, culture and contemporary creativity. The inauguration of the Lion attracted a large audience of citizens, tourists, cultural workers and representatives of institutions, confirming the growing interest in a tourist offer that combines natural beauty and valuable content.