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.
Images 1-12 of 12
- The Orc lures children inside and eats themorc, ogre, picture, bomarzo picture
- Three headed dog, guardian of the gates of hell.bomarzo picture, monster park, three headed dog
- The colassal head of a marine monster waits for youmarine monster picture, bomarzo picture, monster park picture
- Picture of the Sleeping Nymph and Her Guard Dogbomarzo picture, sleeping nymph, dog, nymph picture
- Picture of Pegasus in the foreground, the tortoise in the backpegasus picture, elephant, bomarzo, monster park, picture, bomarzo picture
- Fountain of the Nymphs Picture - Ninfeofountain of the nymphs, picture, bomarzo picture
- A winged dragon at playbomarzo picture, winged dragon
- A Temple Picturebomarzo picture, temple picture
- A tilting house in Bomarzo Monster Parkbomarzo picture, tilting house
- Hannibal's fortified elephant makes an appearancebomarzo picture, elephant, hannibal
- Hercules gets the upper hand over Cacus in the fight of good versus evilbomarzo picture, hercules
- Bomarzo, the town and one of the two Orsini Palacesbomarzo picture, bomarzo palace picture
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