Northern Lazio is packed with things to do, yet travelers seldom think of it. Bomarzo, just south of vaunted Bagnoregio, hosts the Monster Park, which features sun-dappled works giving light to the dark mythological world of the "cinquecento" or the 1500s.
When Giulia Farnese died, her husband Prince Pier Francesco Orsini called upon architect Pirro Ligorio to create a "Villa of Wonders" in homage to her. (Orsini was called upon to complete St. Peters in Rome after Michelangelo died, and built the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, so he was no weekend tinkerer, to be sure.) Still, the park never seemed to catch on with the populace, and it remained relatively unknown until Giovanni Bettini bought it in 1954 and started to manage and restore it.
The result, a sort of mythological dream time brought to life, is now reasonably popular with those who go a little out of their way to see it.
Enjoy our Bomarzo Monster Park pictures. Click each picture to see it full size.
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