The historic centre stretches out along a tufaceous ridge
dominated by Palazzo Orsini, reconstructed by Corrado Orsini and his
son Pierfrancesco (known as Vicino) in the sixteenth century and designed
by Baldassarre Peruzzi. It is now used as the city hall. On the vault of the
Council Hall there is a lovely Baroque fresco by Lorenzo Berrettini da
Cortona (1660-1662) depicting the Triumph of Peace over War. The
terraces and windows afford a view of rare beauty and a glimpse of the "Sacro
Bosco" - Sacred Forest - below. In the nearby parish church (restructured
in the sixteenth century and subsequently modified), there is a Longobard
sarcophagus, several sixteenth-century frescoes and the urn with the
relics of St. Anselm.
The church of Cristo Risorto in the new part of
town presents a cycle of contemporary paintings (oils on canvas)
depicting the stations of the Cross. They are the work of the Viterbo
artist Felice Ludovisi. The Sculpture Museum, located in a storeroom
in Palazzo Orsini, has over 100 hyperspatial works done by Attilio Pierelli
from 1960 through the present. These works include Ipercubo, Superfcie a
Cuspide and T.E.S.T., the work that is signed every three years
to the person who presents the most important research astrophysics at the
"Marcel Grossman Meeting".
Sacro Bosco
Better known as the "Parco dei Mostri"- or Park
of Monsters I tis located about one kilometre from the town on the slopes
the castle. This unusual work was done durng the second half of the
sixteenth century by Pier Francesco Orsini, an original and eclectic figure
of the Italian Renaissance. The "monsters" are carved from
volcanic rock scattered throughout the park, without any specific overall
plan but based on the inspiration offered by the park's physical features.
Nevertheless, the unity of these works is ensured by the restless search for
the extravagant and the constant counterpoint between the artificial and the
surrounding natural environment.
The sculptural works at the Bomarzo complex reveal
Orsini's predilection for open shapes, in which the viewer's eye encounters
seemingly fortuitous perspectives as well as the artist's passion for
different artistic expressions that are unusual for sixteenth-century
Italian culture and show a decisive trend towards the Baroque.
Of the figurative manifestations that make the Sacred
Forest truly unique, the ones that spark the visitor's fascination the most
are: the Tempietto (an octagonal Doric temple dedicated to the
artist's wife, the Mascherone (“Mask”- the most emblematic "monster",
with a pugnose, empty eyes and huge open mouth, inside which there is an
entire room), Elefante in battaglia (“Battling elephant” - revealing a
strong Oriental influence), Drago in lotta coi Veltri (“Dragon fighting
with dogs” - obvious Asian influence), Donna opulenta (“Opulent woman”
- an enormous figure carrying a vase on her head), Nettuno (“Neptune”
bare-backed against Cyclopean masonry), Casetta inclinata (“Tilted House”
- revealing the artist’s delight in disdaining the limits of moderation),
Tartaruga (“Tortoise” - a gigantic sculpture ridden by a harmonious
musical figure), Gigante (“Giant” - impressive metrical interpretation
of anatomy), Maschera demoniaca (“Devilish mask” - holding the globe
decorated with the heraldic symbols of the Orsini family).
The park is open non-stop from dawn to sunset. There is a
restaurant and picnic tables are also available.
;)
;)
