Park of the Monsters (Bomarzo, Italy 1/22/25)

Upon arrival the rain and the cold had captivated my senses. The water made me weary of each step as I started down the path. I approached the garden without any expectation or understanding of what was yet to come. When entering the Park of the Monsters there was a sequence of events and feelings the artist wanted the inhabitants to experience. As a picture is worth 1000 words each sculpture was a novel in part of a never ending story. Bomarzo was the first town other than Orvieto that I was able to spend meaningful time in. While looking back on it, it was a perfect anti-pasta preparing me for what I have seen thus far and am yet to see. This is because of the rich art and embedded stories that were told with a walk through the park. As many of the towns we are experiencing have art intertwined with the architecture, I’m Bomarzo it felt like the inverse. The architecture was embedded into the art and some places you had to look closer than others to really understand what was going on. By the time I reached the garden I had forgot that it was raining and that there was a brisk breeze through the trees. My only thought was about how to admire this work and bring the story of the story to paper.

Pen sketch of Hercules fighting Cacus statue

Temple in Garden of Bomarzo