One of the most famous and appreciated tourist centers of Lazio is Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo, which offers its visitors many things to discover.
This town is located in a valuable architectural, environmental and historical context and has in fact one of the most renowned historical centers of the region.
This village is famous for the presence of the Monster Park dating back to 1500 but also much more to offer to tourists who come here every year from all over Italy and even from abroad. Nearby there are also many other places of great interest to see.
Bomarzo: where is it?
Bomarzo is a small village in the province of Viterbo. It is located within the wide valley of the Tiber in the heart of Lazio Tuscia on the border with Umbria.
According to archaeological findings, the origin of this place dates back to the Etruscan and then Roman times. Still today remain the remains of an aqueduct, an Etruscan pyramid and the necropolis.
What to see in Bomarzo
The village of Bomarzo has a characteristic medieval appearance that is still visible today in some of its monuments and buildings. One of the most significant is undoubtedly Palazzo Orsini. This structure dominates the town and had a function both residential and defensive. It was built in the 15th century on the remains of an older medieval castle.
Over the centuries saw the presence of several owners. These include the Orsini family, the Lante della Rovere family, the Borghese family and finally the town of Bomarzo. In the historic center there are other interesting buildings such as the Duomo built between the fifteenth and eighteenth century. Here are kept interesting works of art such as the ancient altarpiece.
Another church to visit is that of Santa Maria di Monte Casoli which is located within the homonymous reserve. This natural area is favoured by many hiking enthusiasts. Not too far away is another archaeological area worth seeing. It is the Etruscan Pyramid of Bomarzo a megalithic construction with steps probably made to make sacrifices to the gods. This is the largest rock altar in Europe. To the south of the village is the Necropolis of Santa Cecilia where there are the remains of an early Christian cemetery.
The park of monsters of Bomarzo
One of the most beautiful and mysterious places in Lazio is the monster park of Bomarzo. In this particular park there are majestic statues with a bizarre appearance that have an incredible scenic impact. In the past the park was connected to Palazzo Orsini through a wonderful Italian garden.
Another interesting figure to see in the park is the leaning house. Continuing you reach one of the most spectacular points of the entire complex is the door to the underworld in whose vicinity there are many incredible and enigmatic figures such as Neptune, an elephant, a warrior and an ogre.
This is one of the most famous sculptures in the park. The door consists of a mask that takes on different features depending on the time you look at it. The route ends at the Temple that rises at the top of the park.
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What to visit around Bomarzo?
The territory of Bomarzo offers its visitors other places to see near the village of Lazio. One of the most interesting is that of Bassano in Teverina which is located on a rock spur that offers a wonderful view of the valley of the Tiber River. A particularly characteristic building is that of the clock tower that was built incorporating the bell tower of the adjacent church of Santa Maria dei Lumi.
Another interesting place to visit just outside the town is Lake Vadimonio. This place was mentioned in the writings among others of Pliny the Elder and Seneca. This was the area where the Battle of Vadimone was fought between Etruscans and Romans. The most famous legend about this lake is that it was formed instead of a threshing floor. The story goes that some farmers were working the fields with horses. But that was the day dedicated to Sant’Anno in which it was forbidden to work. For this reason they sank into the earth and the waters of the lake emerged.
A village in Lazio to visit not too far from Bomarzo is also that of Vitorchiano. Here is the famous volcanic tuff monolith typical of Easter Island. In the 80s of the twentieth century a delegation of the island came to these places to look for a suitable stone to restore the typical Moai. The structure is the result of the experiment conducted to verify the suitability of this material. Another interesting place to visit in the village of Vitorchio is the Botanical Centre Moutan which houses an incredible collection of Chinese peonies.
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