A 250kg bronze sculpture by Italian artist Roberta Verteramo was unveiled at Cala del Forte in Ventimiglia, Monaco’s third port, on Wednesday 11th November, the first of a series of contemporary works intended to turn the superyacht marina into a public art destination.

The piece, ‘Meteora’, was installed at the initiative of Force One magazine editor Luca Marotta, who leads the marina’s artistic development, in partnership with Ardentis Yacht.

A lunar mirror on the waterfront

Measuring roughly 160cm in diameter, ‘Meteora’ pairs a raw, textured bronze exterior with a mirror-polished concave interior. As visitors walk past, the reflective basin captures and inverts both the surrounding harbour and the viewer, so the work changes with the sea, the sky and whoever stands before it.

For Verteramo, whose practice spans sculpture, painting, fashion, jewellery and collectible design, and whose work has already been installed aboard several superyachts, creating monumental work is “an act of inner expansion”. Speaking at the unveiling, she explained that the piece, part of her ‘Selene’ lunar series, is rooted in the search for harmony between opposing elements: the organic and the geometric, the spiritual and the material.

Placed outdoors beside the Mediterranean, the work is designed to interact with both the sea air and the night sky. “When the Moon is out, you can see it reflected inside the sculpture, you see the lunar surface below, and the mystery of the Moon inside,” Verteramo told Monaco Life.

Rather than treating coastal weather as wear, she welcomes the gradual patina on the raw bronze. “You can see the oxidation, and it is part of the work because the sculpture is alive. That corrosion recreates the exact texture of the Moon, it is like a human being,” she said.

From superyacht hub to cultural destination

The installation is the first step in plans to transform Cala del Forte from a technical yachting hub into a year-round cultural promenade for both yacht owners and the wider public.

“The layout, setting, and scale of this port give us an opportunity to grow culturally as well. Bit by bit, we want to make this a meeting point between architecture, art, and landscape. ‘Meteora’ is the first chapter of this adventure, paving the way for more permanent contemporary works with strong character,” said Marotta during the presentation.

Sustainability and connection in Ventimiglia

Operated by Monaco Ports, Cala del Forte was officially inaugurated in July 2021 in a ceremony attended by Prince Albert II, as reported by Monaco Life, and was built to connect superyacht infrastructure with the wider town of Ventimiglia.

Marco Cornacchia, who has managed the marina since 2018 and became its managing director in August 2025, has made environmental standards a focus. “We installed a proper black-water system, meaning no one discharges anything into the port, the water is entirely clean,” Cornacchia told Monaco Life.

The marina also uses smart energy monitoring to track consumption in real time. “If a yacht uses too much power, our control system flags it straight away so we can alert them immediately,” he said. Cala del Forte is on the 2026 list of Blue Flag marinas, its fourth consecutive year with the award, according to the marina.

Alongside its 35 commercial spaces, restaurants and waterfront cafés, the marina has increasingly become a public promenade. Visitors can walk the coastal Sentiero delle Calandre, known locally as Lovers’ Walk, or take the lift linking the quayside to Ventimiglia’s historic old town, Ventimiglia Alta, in 40 seconds.

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From left to right: Luca Marotta, Force One magazine editor, artist Roberta Verteramo and Cala del Forte managing director Marco Cornacchia. Main photo credit: Virginia D’Umas