A fantastic creature has found its home in the heart of the Val di Non, where the mountains are reflected in the waters of Lake Santa Giustina: the Radicosaurus. It is a majestic wood sculpture that seems to rise from the depths of the lake, like a legend coming to life.Imagine you are walking along the shores of an enchanted lake, immersed in the silence of nature, when suddenly an extraordinary creature appears before you: the Radicosaurus. It is a marvellous work of art, the result of the ingenuity and skill of Marco Martalar, the sculptor of the woods. He has transformed simple roots gathered from the shores of the lake into a presence that enchants and fascinates anyone who ventures along the green areas of the Plaze di Dermulo.
Walking along the path by the lake, you can see an imposing silhouette on the horizon. As you get closer, you discover a creature that looks like something out of a fairy tale: a bit feline, a bit reptilian. As the artist himself says, "it reveals itself only to children and feeds on water and sunshine". It is a magical creature that stimulates the imagination and awakens the child that lives in all of us.
In order to create it, Martalar patiently collected roots and wood from the banks of the lake when the water level was very low, and gave them new life.
More than 7 metres long and 5 metres high, this fantastic creature will live in constant metamorphosis: depending on the seasons and the water level of the lake, it will be partially submerged or fully emerged, like a mythological creature living between two worlds. The reflections of the sun on the water will create plays of light that will dance between the intertwined roots, giving the work new nuances and perspectives at every hour of the day.
The Radicosaurus, as its author reveals, 'holds the deepest secrets of the world and of life itself'. In an increasingly frenetic and virtual age, the Radicosaurus invites you to pause, breathe, marvel. It is a journey into the heart of fantasy, an experience that will remain etched in your memory — whatever your age.
Are you ready to meet it?
Meet the creator, Marco Martalar
To fully understand the value of the Radicosaurus, you need to know its creator. Marco Martalar is not just a sculptor, but a true interpreter of the soul of the forest. Born and raised on the Asiago plateau, he developed a deep connection with nature, learning to give new life to what it discards. He transforms dead branches, roots and trunks into works of art that seem to have a soul of their own in his workshop in Mezzaselva di Roana, surrounded by pine, larch and beech trees.
After the Vaia storm in 2018, which devastated large areas of woodland in northeastern Italy, Martalar's work took on an even deeper meaning. Out of destruction, he was able to create beauty, as demonstrated by the famous 'Drago di Vaia' in Lavarone, made from storm-battered wood. The Radicosaurus carries this legacy too: it is a symbol of resilience, a creature born of the power of nature and the vision of an artist capable of turning wood into legend.
Discover all the works by Marco Matalar in Trentino
Here you can find all the information about the Plaze di Dermulo at Lake Santa Giustina
