Unusual Italy : Mummies, Monsters, & More!
SACRO BOSCO
Also known as Park of the Monsters, this sculpture garden was built in the 16th century but fell into disrepair and was lost to time until its rediscovery and restoration in the 1970's.
The sculptures, referred to as "surreal" and "grotesque", feature obelisks, elephants, monsters, and even a precariously tilted building. All this and more beautifully shrouded in the deep greens of the surrounding forest. Sacro Bosco is a great stopping point for a few hours of exploration if entering or leaving Rome from the north.
I visited in November and encountered very few other people -- if visiting in the summer months expect it to be more crowded, but given it is off the beaten path it still may not be as crowded as expected!
Buy tickets online or on arrival and expect to spend a few hours wandering the trails!
