After my time in Italy, you will all be given a picture quiz to identify each Italian hill town I visit, this is Bomarzo.
Bomarzo, a 30 minute Cotral (intercity) bus ride away from Viterbo is a long barbell shaped town connected by one small tiny road.
At first, I thought this was going to add to my "Italian Men Sitting Round Series", but turns out that it was a woman. I asked her directions and she, although hard of hearing, understood me.
The trip to Bomarzo was to see a park that was started in the 1550's by Prince Orsini. He had a artist create great sculptures out of the rock on the land. As you will see, Orsini had an interesting sense of humor or, perhaps, sense of reality. Due to lack of heirs, the collection was abandoned for four centuries until the local Bettini family restored it. I think they run the park today.
Struggle between giants
Some perspective on how large these carvings are.
Woman (winged victory) standing on a turtle (representing the shields behind which Roman warriors stood)
About to be attacked by a whale.
Art is at its best when it surprises you and makes you smile. This whimsical slanted house did just that for me.
Neptune!!
Dragon
The pachyderm, considered the wisest of animals because of its ability to discern good from evil, is being led by a guide and throwing Hannibal to the ground.
You can enter into the mouth and there is seating for 20 around a table.
Looking out from the mouth of the ogre.
Echidna, mother of many of Hercules' enemies.
A bear carrying the rose of Rome.
The Greeks and Romans do temples better than anyone else.
Proteus, Neptune's son, represents the "old man of the sea" the creator of all forms of the world.
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