Bomarzo is a village in Lazio at the foot of Mount Cimino. It is 42 miles north-northwest of Rome. Bomarzo's main attraction is a garden, usually referred to as the Bosco Sacro (Sacred grove) or locally, Bosco dei Mostri (Monsters' Grove), named after the many larger-than-life sculptures, some sculpted in the bedrock, which populate this predominantly barren landscape. It is also called Monster Garden in English.
Sacro Bosco 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 Italian style gardens follow geometric and perspective rationality with
embellishments such as wide terraces, fountains with water games and sculptures. The 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.
After the death of Vicino Orsini, no one took over caring for the gardens 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 park is open every day of the year from Monday to Sunday.
In the months of November, December, January, February: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
From March to September: 8:30
am - 7:00 pm
October: 8:30am - 6:00pm
We stayed in the cutest apartment right in the medieval town! It felt like we were staying in a castle. Our hosts had the apartment across the hall. They were Texas residents who had visited Bomarzo and fell in love. They purchased a building and renovated it into a gorgeous sanctuary. The views are insane, looking over the countryside from one side of the apartment and into the Medieval town and clocktower from the other side. They allowed us to come and use their rooftop terrace which was spectacular. Gorgeous flowers and on top of the village with 360 degree views! It was so great we adjusted our itinerary so that we could stay an extra day. One evening I introduced Aubrey to the movie "My Girl." We laid in bed in front of the gorgeous fireplace and both cried and cried.
Bomarzo feels like you are stepping back in time. It is not overrun with tourists yet as Rick Steves has not featured it (thankfully!) I LOVE it! Men are outside playing cards in the square, the cutest little Grandmas ever can be seen looking out their windows. We went for a walk around the town and our youngest overheated and needed water. We walked into a little store and tried to buy some, but they did not take credit cards, only cash. We did not have anything with us as we were on a quick walk and just grabbed the credit card, but they could tell our babes needed some water and gave us the bottle for free. There was a complete language barrier, but their heart could be felt all over the town.
On another walk, we found an abandoned old church that looked gorgeous from outside. It was down an alleyway. Brian decided to take a walk around the church in the tall unmanaged grass. I was sure the area in the back was full of snakes and other not fun creatures so I begged him not to go, but he went. It felt like he was gone an excessive amount of time and we yelled out for him but he didn't yell back. But I wasn't worried enough to go look for him yet. The girls and I decided he may have found a way inside and may be checking out the "Haunted Church." One of the girls asked how would we know if Dad was now a ghost or really Dad, and we decided that if he walked towards us and the cat that was in the middle of the alley did not move, then the cat must not be able to see Dad and he must be a ghost. Brian finally comes walking back to us and the cat stands still as Brian walks right by and Aubrey turns and runs away haha. Turns out the cat was missing both eyes! Oh the luck. 
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