A Dream of Etruria: The Sacro Bosco of Bomarzo and the Alternate Antiquity of Alto Lazio

Abstract

Easily the most enigmatic landscape architectural project of the Italian Renaissance, the Sacro Bosco of Bomarzo, with its bizarre stone beasts and surreal tableaux, has often been discussed in terms of either its relation to period literature or the life of its patron, Vicino Orsini. Little scholarly attention, however, has been granted the park's connections to the unusual Etruscan ruins and monuments of the forests surrounding Bomarzo. When viewed in conjunction, the site appears to be engaging in a certain imaginative dialogue with its surroundings, projecting a distinct sense of place and localized identity as tied to the antiquities, topography and history of Alto Lazio.