manuel cohen

Head of an ogre, Garden of Bomarzo, Bomarzo, Lazio, Italy

Giant sculpted head of an Ogre or Orcus with open mouth screaming (he is said to eat children) and the inscription 'Ogni pensiero vola' or 'All thoughts fly', as the mouth's acoustics enable a whisper to be heard outside, also known as the Gate of Hell in reference to Dante, in the Garden of Bomarzo, also known as the Sacro Bosco or Sacred Grove, or the Parco dei Mostri or Park of the Monsters, a monumental Mannerist park complex, c. 1550, made by Pier Francesco Orsini, or Vicino, 1523–1585, Duke of Orsini, designed by Pirro Ligorio, 1512-83, with sculptures by Simone Moschino, 1533-1610, in Bomarzo, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy. The gardens are in a wood at the bottom of a valley beneath the Castle of Orsini, with many large sculptures, small buildings and inscribed poems. The layout of the garden is chaotic, in contrast with formal Renaissance gardens, and it has a surrealistic air. The garden was restored in the 1970s and is now a major tourist attraction. Picture by Manuel Cohen

Add to Lightbox Download

Filename: LC16_ITALY_MC_0346.jpg
Image Size: 4724x7087 / 10.1MB; www.manuelcohen.com; 1550 16th century acoustics Bomarzo Bosco dei Mostri Castle of Orsini color colour Dante day Duke of Orsini entrance Europe European exterior face garden Garden of Bomarzo gate of hell Giulia Farnese head heritage history huge image inscription Italian Italy Lazio Mannerism Mannerist monster Monsters' Grove monumental morning ogre open mouth orcus Orsini family outdoors outside Parco dei Mostri park Park of the Monsters Pier Francesco Orsini Pirro Ligorio Sacred Grove Sacro Bosco screaming sculpture Simone Moschino Southern Europe Southern European staircase step stone surreal vertical Vicino Orsini Villa of Wonders Viterbo woods
Contained in galleries

Giant sculpted head of an Ogre or Orcus with open mouth screaming (he is said to eat children) and the inscription 'Ogni pensiero vola' or 'All thoughts fly', as the mouth's acoustics enable a whisper to be heard outside, also known as the Gate of Hell in reference to Dante, in the Garden of Bomarzo, also known as the Sacro Bosco or Sacred Grove, or the Parco dei Mostri or Park of the Monsters, a monumental Mannerist park complex, c. 1550, made by Pier Francesco Orsini, or Vicino, 1523–1585, Duke of Orsini, designed by Pirro Ligorio, 1512-83, with sculptures by Simone Moschino, 1533-1610, in Bomarzo, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy. The gardens are in a wood at the bottom of a valley beneath the Castle of Orsini, with many large sculptures, small buildings and inscribed poems. The layout of the garden is chaotic, in contrast with formal Renaissance gardens, and it has a surrealistic air. The garden was restored in the 1970s and is now a major tourist attraction. Picture by Manuel Cohen