24.2.10

~Sacro Bosco Garden


As pure fantasy, this garden is without equal.
It was made in a wood and many of its giant
sculptures were carved from living rock.
Stylistically, Bomarzo represents a step towards the
drama of the Baroque. 

Poking gentle fun at the egotistical iconography of
the Este and the Medici families, it is also a pre-cursor
of the English landscape garden. With the elegant
taste of a renaissance duke, Vincino Orsini created
features with some resemblence to those in a modern
theme park. But his aims were altogether serious.


Orsini was a military captain with literary tastes.
He conceived the garden as a Sacred Wood (Sacro Bosso),
inspired by the description of Arcadia in Virgil's Aeneid.
There is an enormous laughing mask. A moss-covered
tortoise supports a statue of fame.
A leaning house illustrates the corrupt state of the world.
A stone dragon sits beside an oversized Etruscan vase.
The figures came from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso.
The garden reaches its culmination in a Temple of
Divine Love. The Sacro Bosso does not appear in
pre-1950 books on Italian gardens.
Public interest revived after an enthusiastic visit by
the surrealist painter Salvator Dali in 1948.
Read more:

 

The park was born in 1552 as "Villa of Wonders"
to be the only one of it's kind in the world.
The Park of Monsters remained in oblivion till 1954
when it was bought by Mr Giovanni Bettini who with
loving care has managed it.
A visit to the park will unfold in a series of stages
ranging between mythology and fantasy.
They have individuated 24 works of art even though
many more are contained in the park.

Address - Parco dei Mostri, Bomarzo, Lazio, Italy
Opening times - All year, Open 8.30 am to dusk
Admission - Entrance fee
Website - Visit the Sacro Bosco/Villa Orsini website

8 opmerkingen:

the cardigan-inn zei

wauw dat is echt geweldig!!!
Prachtige beelden en tuin.
Jammer genoeg is Italie zo ver weg...

Unknown zei

What a wonderful garden...love the elephant and the moss all over the sculptures! Thanks Anna, for sharing!

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits zei

That is an incredible garden! How lovely! I wish I could see it in person.
hugs and friends,
shell

Unknown zei

Wow, that garden would be worth visiting. It was lovely.
//Camilla

cindy-stitches-n-stuff.blogspot.com zei

Hi my sweet Anna, Beautiful garden, I know I've seen pictures of this before. What a creative mind.

It's so good to visit you. I've been very busy helping to move our antic shop. Right now my hubby and I are enjoying a darling cottage in the mountains in Heaber City, at the Homestead. I brought my computer so that I can visit all my friends. When I get one more follower I will have 50 - then- I am going to have a special drawing with the names of my followers. Should be soon.

Love ya, be good
cindy@stitches

Richard zei

Jammer dat het net te ver weg is voor een dag tochtje.
Je hebt al een dag nodig om de tuin te zien.

cindy-stitches-n-stuff.blogspot.com zei

Hi Sweet Anna - How are you? I'm thinking about you, and hoping that your better and that you have found your duck.

Big Hugs
cindy@stitches

Anna zei

@Cindy
I just send you a mail
my duck is still missing!
have a nice weekend
xxx