Parco dei Mostri or, in Turkish, Monsters Park; It is located in the city of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of Italy. Also known as the Bomarzo Garden, the park has managed to attract attention with its frightening appearance. Located in a wooded area under Orsini Castle, this park is filled with eerie statues and small buildings nestled amongst native vegetation. The monster-shaped statues were made in the 16th century. Park; It is among the places that attract the most tourists in Italy, both with its appearance and the story of its emergence.
The name Parco dei Mostri comes from the surreal sculptures carved into the bedrock. This park, which emerged during the Renaissance period, bears similarities with other Renaissance works of the period. At the same time, he was influenced by the mannerism movement, which is considered as 16th century surrealism. The park was built by Pier Francesco Orsini upon the death of his wife, Giulia Farnese. Salvador Dali, who visited the park at the time, was impressed by the park and shot a short film there. At the same time, the park has inspired the artist Salvador Dali’s painting “The Seduction of Saint Antony” drawn in 1946.
The Story of the Emergence of the Parco Dei Mostri Park
Parco dei Mostri Park, which was founded in 1552 and consists of gigantic sculptures, has no other example in the world. According to the legend told about the emergence of the park; The nobleman Pier Francesco Orsini, who ran the area and owned the park, was devastated by the death of his wife. He wanted to convey all his pain to this park, which he designed as a cemetery for his wife. He hired Pirro Ligorio, a famous Renaissance architect, to build the park. All of the artifacts, creatures and monuments in the park are designed by architect Pirro Ligorio.
After Orsini’s death, the park was forgotten and in ruins for 400 years. In 1954, Giovanni Bettini bought the park and restored the statues to their former glory. Sculptures that integrate with nature when neglected have turned into natural monuments. The statues, which became even more frightening, increased the mystery of the park. The garden, which is now the private property of the Bettini family, has gained quite a reputation after Salvador Dali. It has since become a center of attraction for tourists.
The unusual park contains more than 25 artifacts of strange mythological figures and scary-looking statues. Among the works in the park; There are structures such as a war elephant, a giant fish head, a giant dividing a giant in two, and a leaning house. A gigantic head figure screaming with its mouth wide open is the most striking artifact in the park. This work is also known as the mouth of hell. As the explanation of the work, it is written “all reasons set out”. At the beginning of the breathtaking works in the park, there are often explanatory texts.
