A must-see in this area. It is known throughout Italy as one of the country's best kept treasures.

Description
In the 16th century, Prince Vicino Orsini had this fabulous and grotesque fairyland built in memory of his late wife. It sits in a deep valley that is overlooked by the Orsini Palace and the houses of the village. Prince Orsini's park, Bosco Sacro (Sacred Grove), is filled with grotesque figures carved from natural rock. Nature and art have created a surrealistic fantasy: the Mouth of Hell (an ogre's face so big that people can walk into its gaping mouth), a crude Hercules slaying an Amazon, nymphs with butterfly wings, a huge tortoise with a statue on its shell, a harpy, a mermaid, snarling dogs, lions, and much, much more.

A Debated History
There is no question that this was the work of a true master, but debate surrounds the question of which master. It has long been believed that the architect Pirro Ligorio, who is credited with finishing St.Peter's Cathedral after Michelangelo died and desiging the famous Villa D'Este (The Tivoli Gardens), designed the Sacred Grove. However, recent evidence strongly suggests that it was designed by the renaissance genius, Michelangelo himself. It is said that Michelangelo designed it, while a group of his best students carried out the major work.

In the world of art
The Sared Grove (or Monster Park) was a favorite of 20th-century artists Jean Cocteau and Salvador Dalí, who discussed to a great extent. Additionally, Bomarzo's story and the life of Prince Orsini were the subject of a novel by the Argentinian writer Manuel Mujica Lainez, Bomarzo (1962). Mujica Lainez went on to write a libretto based on his novel, which was set to music by Alberto Ginastera in 1967. 'Bomarzo' premiered in Washington in 1976. It was banned by Argentina's dictatorship, but Lainez and Ginastera were awarded the Pulitzer Prize.