The Sacred Grove of Bomarzo, also known as the Monster Park or Villa of Marvels, is a complex of monuments in the province of Viterbo. The area is open parkland studded with numerous 16th century basalt statues which represent mythological animals, divinities and monsters. It is the oldest sculpture park in the modern world. Pier Francesco Orsini, better known as Vicino, the lord of Bomarzo, began work on it in the mid 16th century. He had the rocks in the area sculpted, to animate them and give them the shapes of dreamlike creatures. There are also surreal buildings, inscriptions and riddles that surprise and disorient the visitor. One example is the writing on the mouth of the sculpture of an ogre: “Leave behind all thoughts, those of you who enter”.
After the entrance and past the two sphinxes, one of the first huge works on the route is the massive head of a sea monster: Proteus-Glaucus, the fisherman who became a sea god after eating a magic herb. Further on is a scene of the giants Hercules and Cacus fighting. The route later leads to a truly unique building: the leaning house, which stands at a tilt and is accessed by a small bridge linked to the outer wall.
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