Pier Francesco Orsini, Duke of Bomarzo (1523 – 1583) was an Italian Condottiero an patron of the arts. He is famous as the commissioner of the mannerist Bosco Sacro aka Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters) at Bomarzo. At the time when the villas and gardens at Bagnaia, Caprarola and Tivoli were designed respectively were already completed, Orsino chose a wooded area in a hidden valley at quite a distance from his palace. He dedicated his life to this wood and had it filled with numerous rather rough and queer sculptures made of peperino, a volcanic rock. Due to its position in the middle of nowhere, most likely the Bosco Sacro was almost unknown to Orsini’s contemporaries. After Orsini’s death, the Bosco Sacro was more or less forgotten, it was neglected and became overgrown. In the 1950s, Salvador Dali was attracted by the surreal appearance of the place, made a short movie about it as well as a painting. The Bettini family, today’s owners of the Bosco Sacro, then arranged the restoration which was completed at the end of the 1970s, making it a major tourst attraction in nothern Lazio.
The inscription at the entrance reads :
„Voi che pel mondo gite errando, vaghi di vedere maraviglie alte e stupende venite qua, dove son faccie horrende, elefanti, leoni, orsi, orchi e draghi.“
(You who travel the world to see its wonders, come here where you will find horrible faces, elephants, lions, bears, ogres and dragons.)
Tags: Bomarzo Parco dei Mostri Italien Italy Italia Latium Lazio Sacro Bosco Proteus Meeresgott sea god Park der Monster Monster Park
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Pier Francesco Orsini, Duke of Bomarzo (1523 – 1583) was an Italian Condottiero an patron of the arts. He is famous as the commissioner of the mannerist Bosco Sacro aka Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters) at Bomarzo. At the time when the villas and gardens at Bagnaia, Caprarola and Tivoli were designed respectively were already completed, Orsino chose a wooded area in a hidden valley at quite a distance from his palace. He dedicated his life to this wood and had it filled with numerous rather rough and queer sculptures made of peperino, a volcanic rock. Due to its position in the middle of nowhere, most likely the Bosco Sacro was almost unknown to Orsini’s contemporaries. After Orsini’s death, the Bosco Sacro was more or less forgotten, it was neglected and became overgrown. In the 1950s, Salvador Dali was attracted by the surreal appearance of the place, made a short movie about it as well as a painting. The Bettini family, today’s owners of the Bosco Sacro, then arranged the restoration which was completed at the end of the 1970s, making it a major tourst attraction in nothern Lazio.
The inscription at the entrance reads :
„Voi che pel mondo gite errando, vaghi di vedere maraviglie alte e stupende venite qua, dove son faccie horrende, elefanti, leoni, orsi, orchi e draghi.“
(You who travel the world to see its wonders, come here where you will find horrible faces, elephants, lions, bears, ogres and dragons.)
Tags: Bomarzo Parco dei Mostri Lazio Latium Italien Italy Italia Sacro Bosco Hercules and Cacus Herkules und Cacus Ercole e Caco Battle of giants Kampf der Giganten La lotta dei giganti Park der Ungeheuer Park der Monster Monster Park
© All Rights Reserved