The Mysterious Baths

Walking through Parco Sempione, at a certain point, you will come across a curious garden, surrounded by tall bars, which separate it from the open green areas of the park.

This is the outer space of the Triennale, which stands out along a walk among the trees and with it, the Bagni Misteriosi. It is a sinuously shaped basin with two swimmers (one blond and one dark) dressed in one-piece costumes, a diving board, a ball, a cabin, a fountain, and two animals: a swan and a fish. Six sculpted elements create this unusual fountain, designed by De Chirico in 1973 on the occasion of the 15th Triennale, Milan. The subject was Contatto Arte/città and the works were commissioned from artists with the aim of creating a dialogue with the public spaces inside Parco Sempione. Twelve works were created, many of which were withdrawn by the artists at the end of the event, while the Mysterious Baths would remain there. Combining humour and the surreal that are typical of his style, with this piece, De Chirico donated a personal memory to the city, a corner of the memories of his boyhood in Greece, with bathing, animals, and marine elements that bring his beloved sea and sand to Milan.