The small villages off the town of Viterbo, in Lazio, central Italy, are rather unremarkable as a whole. One of them however has been attracting tourists and artists since the Sixteenth century. The Sacred Grove of Bomarzo, better known as “Monster Park of Bomarzo” is an astonishing work of art with a touching story to it.

The slanted terrain it is built on was originally destined to an ironic homage to Villa Farnese, an opulent and beautiful mansion nearby whose huge gardens and sculptures are the textbook example of Renaissance style. Prince Orsini, owner of the grove, had the idea of contrasting the geometric elegance of the famous villa with a Mannerist triumph of oddities – starting with the shape of the terrain itself – including unusual art and architecture.