| Gardens of Bomarzo | |
|---|---|
| Sacred Grove | |
| Sacro Bosco | |
 Orcus mouth | |
  | |
| Location | Bomarzo, Italy |
| Coordinates | 42°29′29.88″N 12°14′51.27″E / 42.4916333°N 12.2475750°E |
| Created | 16th century |
| Designer | Pirro Ligorio |
The Sacro Bosco ("Sacred Grove"),[1] colloquially called Park of the Monsters (Parco dei Mostri in Italian), also named Garden of Bomarzo, is a Mannerist monumental complex located in Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo, in northern Lazio, Italy.[2]
The garden was created during the 16th century.[3] The design is attributed to Pirro Ligorio, and the sculptures to Simone Moschino. Situated in a wooded valley bottom beneath the castle of Orsini, it is populated by grotesque sculptures and small buildings located among the natural vegetation.
- ^ Matteo Vercelloni, Virgilio Vercelloni Inventing the Garden 2010 - Page 73 "The Sacro Bosco (Sacred Wood) of Bomarzo, in Lazio, is a mysterious park full of curiosities, and monsters, located in what may once have been a ... "
- ^ Caroline Holmes Icons of garden design: 2001 - Page 38 "The Sacro Bosco, or 'sacred grove', takes the Renaissance passion for garden symbolism to a climax. It is a bizarre collection of statues and architectural follies in a wood close to the border between Umbria and Lazio."
- ^ (in French) Encarta Encyclopedia Encarta.msn.com Archived 2009-06-17 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 June 2009