The Image of the Merano WineFestival & Gourmet 2009
29.9.2009 The Image of the Merano WineFestival & Gourmet 2009:
Meaning and Interpretation Possibilities
The official image of the Merano WineFestival & Gourmet 2009 shows Meran in the centre with snow covered mountains in the background and some detail of the historical Kurhaus in the foreground where the Merano WineFestival & Gourmet, an international meeting place for experts and wine lovers, has been taking place for many years.
The Kurhaus designed by Josef Czerny was inaugurated in 1874. The west wing contains the Pavillon des Fleurs, and the balustrade towards the promenade is decorated with two standing statues. Who do these statues represent and what meaning do they have?
Helmuth Köcher and the whole team of Gourmet’s International together with the „Servizi Tecnico Superiore per l’Assistenza alla direzione delle agenzie di viaggio e tour operators incoming” from the „Centro Professionale Luigi Einaudi per il Commercio e Turismo” from Bozen set a goal to find out more about these statues.
In order to understand the building better, a bucolic work of the Meran area and a neoclassical interpretation that were “in“ around the time that the architect Czerny was working, were consulted. The Kurhaus was meant to be used for entertainment such as balls and festivals. The two statues were part of this picture as they represent an Art Nouveau element that is assigned to neoclassicism as well as the base figures of women with corn and grapes.
Seen from the promenade, the right hand statue represents Hebe, daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth and cupbearer to other Gods who gave them nectar and ambrosia to make them immortal. Her symbols are the Oinochoe (in Ancient Greek οἶνος „wine" and χέω „pour") and the goblet and her head is decorated with a wreath of flowers or vines. In her hand she is holding the bottom part of the goblet. Hebe illustrates the parallel between the parties of the Gods and the entertainment of the guests in the Kurhaus
Seen from the promenade, the left hand statue represents Flora, goddess of flowering crops, vines and fruit trees – the goddess of nature, birth and spring. Flora is depicted with a wreath in her right hand and with flowers and fruit on her dress. The goddess represents nature in all its forms, the awakening of life, the regeneration of the body and soul just like in spring.
Food, wine, fruit, nature and entertainment are the elements that are represented by the statues. The word Kurhaus comes from the Kurort (spa) where every year the people came to relax and regenerate surrounded by idyllic nature. Which symbol could be better suited to the Merano WineFestival & Gourmet 2009 than this?