Bomarzo, Monster Park: the history
We are in Bomarzo, right in Etruscan territory. From the small town perched on the hill, you can command the entire green valley traversed by the bends of the Tiber River. In the 15th century, the Orsini princes established their residence here, and around the mid-16th century, one of them, the scholar and valiant man of war Vicino Orsini, wanted to create at the foot of the hill, a grand and unique monumental park. To shape the sculptures, the Prince used the stone abundant in the area: a light gray tuff, characterized by black speckling similar to peppercorns: “peperino.”
The volcanic origin of this material clearly suited what the eccentric Prince had in mind: the creation of gigantic and fantastic statues sculpted directly into the large blocks of “peperino” scattered across the land. Why Prince Orsini wanted to create this complex “scenic machine” is unknown; perhaps the work was part of the broad phenomenon that was one of the features of the 16th century, the Kunst- und Wunderkammer, when the collection and obsession with rarities, curiosities, singular and extravagant items spread across the princely courts of half of Europe as a symbol of vanitas. The Monster Park, however, was a special Wunderkammer because it was outdoors and immersed in greenery, which was quite unique.
Whatever the reason for its creation, today the Monster Park in Bomarzo is certainly one of the most fascinating places in central Italy: a true “Sacred Grove” of the Baroque era. An open-air art gallery, with sculptures crafted by unknown artists. In fact, many legends are told about who contributed to the creation of this mysterious and unusual park. It is said that its eccentric creator, Prince Orsini, during a battle near Vienna captured Turkish prisoners, brought them to Bomarzo, and ordered them to carve the statues. This might explain the rough and artisanal execution of the works; the sculptures are indeed unrefined, but the figures of these monstrous animals and these fantastic and grotesque giants certainly stir imagination in adults and frighten children.
A truly unique character, this Vicino Orsini, who knew how to blend together various symbolisms and numerous allegorical figures, achieving an elegant mélange of cultures and different eras. Bears in medieval symbolism represented the conversion of pagans to Catholicism, and the goddess Fortuna, according to Horace, was the lady of the sea; although in the Renaissance, Fortuna was the goddess revived from Antiquity who unpredictably distributed her favors. The monsters, then, were typical elements of Greek mythology and Jewish apocalyptic literature, while dragons in Christian culture represented Satan. Surely, this grand monumental complex, which may symbolize an instinctive human defense against the unknown, is one of the quirkiest and most fantastic works of 16th-century Italy.
Bomarzo, Monster Park: the gardens
The feeling you get in the gardens of Bomarzo’s Monster Park is one of “boastful caution,” perhaps it’s the name that subconsciously intimidates us. At the entrance, we are greeted by two stone Sphinxes that seem to guard a huge Hercules busy tearing apart Cacus, the Roman god son of Vulcan who spits fire and is giant-sized; a slight shiver runs down our spine, but we prefer to attribute it to the coolness of the beautiful gardens and continue to venture deeper into the park with greater curiosity.
Oblique fountains and heads of infernal Monsters, a gigantic Turtle surmounted by the statue of Fortuna, a Dragon attacked by lions and dogs, a grotesque mask with the features of an ogre with its mouth wide open containing a stone table and chairs inside. Facing all these figures, our imagination runs wild, and we decide that Prince Orsini must have been quite a character. We encounter marine Monsters emerging from the rocks, winged Sirens and Lions, an Elephant that seems to squeeze a warrior with its trunk, a leaning House that appears to be sinking into its own foundations. Inside the house, our head spins; we feel like losing balance and everything becomes unstable. We rush out of that enigmatic structure and continue to the Xisto, the large terrace with a viewpoint. The square’s furnishings consist of huge vases, pine cones, and decorative acorns, and at the end, almost concluding the area, there is a series of heraldic Bears holding a rose: the coat of arms of the Orsini princes. While walking, we see inscriptions and verses engraved on rocks here and there, accompanying us along the paths, almost reminding us that the place was designed to allow space for reflection and meditation.
At the end of the long route through the Bomarzo Monster Park, at the highest point of this “enchanted garden” that unfolds along a terraced itinerary, there is a small domed Temple: some claim that Prince Vicino Orsini had it erected in memory of his wife Giulia Farnese, who died prematurely. We finally leave the Monster Park and it feels as if waking from a dream; the pleasant sensation that remains is that we contributed to the amusement of a character who for 5 centuries has played with all his guests.
