Located just outside the small village of Bomarzo,Italy is a strange yet beautiful garden. In it you will find the most fantastic and bizarre statuary, from a giant elephant carrying a trampled soldier, to a huge mouth opened wide to swallow up visitors as they enter. The statues mimic characters from greek mythology, scary yet intriguing at the same time.
This sacred grove with its macabre inhabitants was created in the 16th century by a young nobleman named Duke Pierfrancesco "Vivinio" Orsini when his wife died. The despondent Orsini retreated onto his family estate and created the strange and melancholy garden on a hill, carving the statues from natural, volcanic rock outcroppings.
Throughout this moss encrusted garden, Orsini left inscriptions on the statuary, giving visitors a keen insight into the psyche of this troubled yet talented sculptor who unleashed his talents on the land to, as one of his inscriptions reads " set his heart free".
When entering what he called his Bosco Sacro or "Sacred Grove", visitors are greeted with the message:
TU CH'ENTRI QUI CON MENTE PARTE A PARTE ET DIMMI POI SE TANTE MARAVIGLIE SIEN FATTE PER INGANNO O PUR PER ARTE.
Throughout this moss encrusted garden, Orsini left inscriptions on the statuary, giving visitors a keen insight into the psyche of this troubled yet talented sculptor who unleashed his talents on the land to, as one of his inscriptions reads " set his heart free".
When entering what he called his Bosco Sacro or "Sacred Grove", visitors are greeted with the message:
TU CH'ENTRI QUI CON MENTE PARTE A PARTE ET DIMMI POI SE TANTE MARAVIGLIE SIEN FATTE PER INGANNO O PUR PER ARTE.
"You who enter this place, observe it piece by piece and tell me afterwards whether so many marvels were created for deception or purely for art."
An incredible garden - it's JUST COOL!
via the unmuseum via flickr
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