Bomarzo, a village in Lazio at the foot of Mount Cimino, possesses a unique work, the Villa of Marvels, also called the Sacred Wood or Park of Monsters. lt was designed by Prince Vicino Orsini and the great architect Pirro Ligorio in 1552.
The park is unique, even if it belongs to the erudite architectural-naturalistic culture of the second half of the sixteenth century. Refined ltalian style gardens follow geometric and perspective rationality with embellishments such as wide terraces, fountains with water games and mannerist sculptures. On the contrary the learned Prince of Bomarzo dedicated himself to creating an eccentric "wood" having the blocks of peperino emerging from the ground sculpted into enigmatic figures of monsters, dragons, mythological subjects and exotic animals, a crooked house, a funerary temple, fountains, seats and obelisks with carved mottoes and inscriptions.
The Sacred Wood is an unusual solution which does not follow sixteenth century usage; the different elements have no perspective relationship between each other and have no coherence or common proportions. Everything is invented with iconological criteria which escape even the most impassioned scholars, a labyrinth of symbols which envelopes anyone who enters. They inspired many artists at the time including Annibal Caro, Bitussi and Cardinal Madruzzo. After the death of Vicino Orsini nobody took charge of the place and it only began to be appreciated by intellectuals and artists such as Claude Lorrain, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Salvador Dali, Mario Praz and Maurizio Calvesi after centuries of neglect.
The entrance is fee of charge with the following rates:
TICKET PRICE: € 10.00
CHILDREN (4 to 13 years): € 8.00
DISABLED NOT SELF-SUFFICIENT: Free
Note: no booking required
DISABLED NOT SELF-SUFFICIENT: Free
Free entrance for the bus driver.
Free guide book
It's provides a guided tour service for a fee and by reservation.
IMPORTANT: for recognition of the tariff groups (min. 30 people) must be booked
at least 2 days before the visit to the following contacts:
- telefono: 0761/924029
- fax: 0761/924029
- email: info@parcodeimostri.com
The Management reserves the right to change prices and conditions without prior notice.
It requires a letter of introduction to the school with a list of students.
STUDENTS: € 6,00 (1 free admission every 15 pupils)
TEACHERS: € 6.00
PARENTS: € 8.00
DISABLED NOT SELF-SUFFICIENT: Free
Free entrance for the bus driver.
Free guide book
It's provides a guided tour service for a fee and by reservation.
IMPORTANT: for recognition of the tariff Schools must be booked
at least 2 days before the visit to the following contacts:
- telefono: 0761/924029
- fax: 0761/924029
- email: info@parcodeimostri.com
- In the event that the school would like to book for lunch in the park, can choose from a variety of menus ranging from quick snacks to full meal to be consumed in designated areas.
Menù Orco -
Menù Drago -
Cestino Nettuno -
Cestino Pegaso -
Cestino Tartaruga
The park is open every day of the year without a lunch break:
08.30 a.m.- 19.00 p.m. (from April to August)
08.30 a.m. - to sunset (from September to March)
The visitor to the Bosco Sacro, at the time of ticket purchase, accept the general conditions regulating the entry in the Park and the use of services offered.
- NO PICNIC
- DON'T SMOKE
- USE THE RELEVANT BASKETS
- DO NOT CLIMB ON THE SCULPTURES
- RESPECT THE GREEN
- DO NOT RUSH
- ALLOWED ONLY GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND
- DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH WITH PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT
Park staff is authorized to supervise the observance of all rules of conduct laid down in this Regulation, and reserves the right to deny access, or to request removal from the park, without any refund to users who take inappropriate conduct and/or dangerous to themselves and others.
Sacro Bosco
loc. Giardino s.n.c
01020 Bomarzo
(VT) Italy
Tel. 0761/924029
Fax 0761/924174
- For press office, events, shooting and audiovisual productions.E-mail: press.sacroboscobomarzo@gmail.com
- General infoE-mail: info@parcodeimostri.com