Secret garden
Have you ever dreamt of having a secret garden behind tall stone walls? An oasis of paths and fantastic statues tucked amongst the landscape to disappear into and escape the reality of the outside world?
Fury
Just a few miles down the A1 from Orvieto you will find the small hilltop village of Bomarzo. Tucked down around the back of this picturesque little town is just such a garden, Parco dei Mostri, the sacred wood of Bomarzo.
Where does deception end and art begin?
In the 16th century an Italian nobleman, the Duke of Bomarzo, known as Vincino, built this magnificent “Sacro Bosco” (sacred wood) as a memorial to his wife.
Neptune
Carved from the local stone where it lay, the garden is populated by dozens of gigantic statues. The theme of this amazing garden and the tale of the statues is the triumph of love, in life and death.
The temple
Told through sometimes very obscure and obscene statues, the garden tells a story via many medieval and poetic themes, referencing poets like Dante and Ariosto.
Elephant
Many inscriptions are carved throughout the garden and although they expose the trends of the time, they still evoke deep meditation and debate on their true intention today, like “Where does deception end and art begin?”
The giants slept
The most incredible story that this garden has is its hibernation for more than three hundred years.
The ogre
Lost to the greenery that surrounds it, after Vincino’s death, and forgotten about, the garden’s Giants slept, waiting until the 1930’s to be awoken by artists like Dali and other European painters who heard tales of the secret garden and sought out its magic.
Leaning house (& Tim)
Even with this renewed interest, the garden still languished until 1953 when it was restored by a local art lover.
Ceres
One of our favourite day trips in Umbria, the Parco dei Mostri is an absolute delight to visit and very well maintained. The visitors center has a great gift shop and café and also some fantastic photos of the park before it was restored, with shepherds herding their sheep around the over grown sculpted monsters.
Sleeping woman
Upon entry, you will receive a very informative map that leads you through the garden and describes each statue and engraving, 35 in total, giving you more insight into the garden’s interpretation.
Dragon
One of the most unusual gardens you are sure to visit, the sacred wood of Bomarzo is well worth seeking out and will easily transport you back to 1552 when Vincino walked the paths amongst his monsters.
Bomarzo looks like a remarkable place. Quite spooky looking though! That cave sculpture with an open mouth looks like a gateway to the underworld.
Haha you’re right it does look a bit spooky.
Magnificent sculptures! What a marvelous secret garden – I would love to visit!
It’s worth it if you’re in the area.
I love secret gardens and this one is incredible
What an amazing place and story behind it. I love the Roman inspired elephant (and thus noticed that your photos link to larger versions on Flickr). I will certainly keep this garden in mind for a ‘must visit’ in Tuscany.
It’s actually in Lazio, very close to Umbria and Tuscany borders.
I love visiting gardens and the Parco dei Mostri appears to be a very special one. I hope to get there one day.
I hope you get there too Carole.
Wow, what a romantic story! Imagine being the type of person that would inspire your spouse to make this magnificent gesture in your memory! This is an amazing item to put on the list of must-sees!
I think seeing it in winter when there aren’t any crowds made it that much more special.
How and why haven’t I ever heard of this place before? It’s now on my list for when we get to Italy, thanks! 🙂
We think you’ll enjoy it. Let us know when you get there!
Parco dei Mostri is exactly the kind of place we like to visit while traveling – a bit off-the-beaten path with history and legend mixed together. I love the moss growing over everything and I can imagine how much fun you had discovering each new sight as you walked through the park. Time to add this to our wish list!
We were glad we found it, it’s a day we’ll remember for years to come.
Who knew such fabulous stone sculptures were hidden in this secret garden? Thanks for sharing with us!
What an incredible “once-buried” treasure! It makes you wonder about the stone carvers who created it.
Parco dei Mostri looks like a wonderful place to visit. The garden has such an interesting story.
What an interesting place! I love the idea that the garden was a built as a memorial to his wife and that it was hidden for so long. The photos of the garden before restoration would be great to see. I had not heard of it before but I will definitely visit next time we are in Tuscany or Umbria. Thanks for the recommendation.
What a magical place. I never would have guessed it was in Italy.
What a unique and beautiful secret garden! Vincino’s sculptures look surreal, so I can imagine Dali being inspired there. I wouldn’t guess this was in Umbria.
Is this the town close to Civita, the Dying City? We were so close to it but didn’t go! Now I regret it. But thanks for giving me a view of what i missed!