Monsters of Bomarzo
There is something lurking in the trees outside of the small, quiet town of Bomarzo, Italy. Something old, something lost to time, something monstrous!
Known by many as Sacro Bosco [Sacred Wood], this extensive collection of monstrous forms tucked into the lower Tiber River Valley is the world’s oldest sculpture park. History may be brimming with ancient statues and grand gardens dotted with marbled figures, but Sacro Bosco is considered the first true garden designed for the sole purpose of showcasing a carved collection.
The land on which these monsters roam was once under the care of Pier Francesco Orsini, who became Duke of Bomarzo in 1542 and reportedly began commissioning the construction of the first pieces around the time of his wife’s death in the early 1560s. With this in mind, it is easy to imagine that the sculptures in question reflect graceful figures in Renaissance postures, perhaps a fair maiden of mythology or emotive allusions to Christ or the Trinity.
Instead, one finds ornate carvings of giants ripping each other apart at the limbs, an orca breaching from the earth with open jaws and sharp teeth, obelisks and tilted towers, massive elephants and a grotesque ogre with its cavernous mouth agape in a scream.
While the influence of the Mannerist style and mythology play heavily into these creations, they also reflect an element of the abstract and unexpected that doesn’t fit neatly into the styles of the time.Too large to maneuver and place in any semblance of structure, these massive relics were carved in place, adding an element of surprise and discovery to the park and a natural symbiotic blending of stone into surrounding flora.
Over time, the wild wonders of Orsini’s garden were lost to memory - for hundreds of years, the statues sat quietly, neglected and forgotten in their splendor; any sense of cohesiveness largely erased by nature. Slowly however, whispers of Sacro Bosco rekindled and exploration of the structures returned around the mid 20th century. This revival and the eventual restoration of the park is largely due to visits by artists of the day who found inspiration in the twisted relics. Salvadori Dali was one of the most prominent admirers of Sacro Bosco at this time of re-emergence and credits the grotesque and unsettling sculptures as a deep source of inspiration for his surrealist works.
Today, the garden is open and welcoming visitors to explore the grounds and unearth these notorious monsters and myths firsthand. So, should you be traveling someday soon through the lower Tiber River Valley of Lazio, consider making a stop at Sacro Bosco and spend an afternoon in the woods. The Monsters of Bomarzo are still there, waiting for you to find them.
