Sacro bosco di Bomarzo - Where the monsters sleeps
"Voi che pel mondo errando vaghi di veder meraviglie alte et stupende, venite qua, ove son facce horrende, elefanti, leoni, orsi, orchi e draghi" so it reads the most famous of the incision in Sacro bosco.
"You that walk for the world looking for wonders tall and beautiful, come here, were horrid faces, elphants, lions, bears, orcs and dragons"
I have been to Bomarzo on the weekend of hallowen accompanied by the misty shroud and the light rain of novenber the 1st, one could haven't asked for a better climatic concidence to wander through this mystical garden.
The origins of this place dates back to 1547 when prince Francesco Orsini got the work commissioned to the antiquarian and architect Pirro Ligorio who directed the works, still doubts around who the sculptors were are to be unveiled. There's to say that there is a lot more then I expected and the statues get really strange and with a flavour very different from the horror that we are used today, should I say style as everyone is tickled differently by different art pieces.
The park was dedicated by the prince to his wife Giulia Farnese wich is said to be still buried in this very place. The position and the shape of the park has changed over the course of the years and has taken the form that you can see nowdays since the acquisition of the Bettini family in the last century.
After the entrance and a narrow corridor in the trees the park open up and it dosen't feel like a joyride instead it has somewhat retained its essence of a park, a mystical place one could just enjoying walking and the weird creatures, strange statues and non canon buildings can be your background. Some of the dream is broken by some of the fences that sourround the statues and by the high volume of people visiting. Though I don't mind it too much it's a beautiful place and is nice that people go visit places outside the famous italian ones.
I wanted to visit this place from long time and my expetation hasn't been proven false instead there were much more to see then I expected I almost wish I had more time to spend there. I wish more parks would look like this one or at least be provocative and inspiring while completely merging with nature. I got thinking what really a monster is and to me it dosen't look like any of these magical creatures wich I would love to share more time with their apperance instead of running around samey looking streets to smash around stuff in return for some change. I would prefer much a talk with an orc or a dragon instead of living inside the real monster of a commercial district.
If you arrived here you spoiled yourself quite a bit of the Sacro Bosco di Bomarzo but not all as I uploaded just a part of the park plus while I may have tried to recreate the atmosphere it is nothing compared to what you feel while you walk among Bomarzo atmosphere!
Hope you enjoyed :D
Sacro bosco di Bomarzo - Where the monsters sleeps