Day trip from Rome to Bomarzo Park?
One of the most loved destinations by the Romans for trips out of town is the park of the Monsters of Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo. A fabulous place, very special. But why were all these sculptures designed that made even Salvador Dali wonder?
Did you know? What do the monsters of Bomarzo Park represent?
The Monster Park, also called Sacro Bosco or Villa delle Meraviglie of Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo, is an Italian monumental complex. It is a natural park adorned with numerous basalt sculptures dating back to the 16th century and portraying mythological animals, deities and monsters.
The architect and antiquarian Pirro Ligorio commissioned by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini (known as Vicino Orsini) designed and supervised the construction, in 1547, of the park, elevating the grotesque genre into a system in the mythological figures represented therein. Some scholars, erroneously, traced the “direction” to Michelangelo Buonarroti (E. Guidoni), while others, in particular for the Temple, cited the name of Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola.
The realization of the sculptural works was probably entrusted to Simone Moschino. Orsini called the park simply “grove” and dedicated it to his wife, Giulia Farnese (not to be confused with the homonymous concubine of Pope Alexander VI).
According to some, the impossible architectures, such as the inclined house, or some enigmatic statues would represent the stages of an alchemical itinerary.
The Park covers an area of about 3 hectares, in a forest of conifers and deciduous trees. Inside there are a large number of sculptures of various sizes depicting mythological characters and animals, buildings that reflect the classical world deliberately ignoring the rules of perspective or aesthetics, in order to confuse the visitor.
The sculptures were made of basalt, a material available in massive quantities in the area; many of them are marked by enigmatic and mysterious inscriptions, which have survived only to a small extent.
The park is located near the homonymous locality of Bomarzo in the province of Viterbo.
To reach it you can use the A1 Autostrada del Sole using the Orte exits from the south and Attigliano from both the north and the south and then follow the clear local indications.
In 1948 the park was visited by Salvador Dalí who for the occasion had himself framed in original poses among the main monuments and defined the place as a unique historical invention.
The Park covers an area of about 3 hectares, in a forest of conifers and deciduous trees. Inside there are a large number of sculptures of various sizes depicting mythological characters and animals, buildings that reflect the classical world deliberately ignoring the rules of perspective or aesthetics, in order to confuse the visitor.
The sculptures were made of basalt, a material available in massive quantities in the area; many of them are marked by enigmatic and mysterious inscriptions, which have survived only to a small extent.
It should be noted that the current layout of the attractions in the Park, except for some documented cases, is not the original one but dates back to the second half of the 20th century when the Bettini family took it over and put it back into use. In addition to the Monsters and the main architectural elements listed and described below, there are many other smaller ones, often more degraded by time and therefore also less identifiable. In the next episode we will go to see what these sculptures represent.
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