Il Colosso Dell'Appennino - The Appennine Colossus

Let me just start off by saying I want one of these on my estate. Assuming of course that I ever have an estate.

(Full-size | Img source)

This is the Colosso Dell'Appennino. It was created by Felmish-Italian sculptor Giambologna in 1580, erected on the grounds of Villa di Pratolino, an estate of Francesco de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1820, most of the villa, located about 7 miles north of Florence, was demolished. What was left later became part of Villa Demidoff. It's passed through a few (very wealthy and royal) hands over the years but these days it's owned and maintained by Florence which opens it to the public several months of the year.

While this 35' personification of the Apennines (Apennine Mountains) is a very very old and impressive work of art by a renowned artist and the fountain is neat, what really ups the cool factor is that it's got secret rooms (grottos to be precise). A few images from Bored Panda:






Did I mention that one of the grottos is an orchestra chamber and that there is a fire place that vents through the nose?

a reply to: theantediluvian

How. Fing. Cool. Is. THAT!?

The artistic ability is stunning. I wonder how long it took to craft that.

a reply to: JinMI

It's pretty damn amazing.

I looked at a dozen sources and none of them mentioned when work commenced but construction on the Villa di Pratolino ran from 1569-1581.

Really nice close up:

a reply to: theantediluvian

Amazing indeed! The statue is now in a public park, which you can visit for free, but unfortunately visitors are not allowed near it, I'd love to visit the tunnels built inside the colosso.

I'm not sure how long it took to built, different sites tell a different lenght of time. This one says it took 10 years to build, 1579-1589- LINK -.

This one says it only took 1 year, which I doubt, 1579-1580 : - LINK -.

I think is worth adding the colosso to the list of things to visit in Italy.

Tremendous. Gorgeous. Amazing. Speaks to the extremely elegant and talented people of those early times-a great artistic wonder. Thanks for sharing.

a reply to: theantediluvian

He is absolutely stunning!

Thanks

The complicated iconography of the garden is embodied in the brooding statue of "Appennino" (1579-1580), a colossal sculpture by Giambologna, which originally seemed to emerge from the vaulted rockwork niche that once surrounded him. Multiple grottoes with water-driven automata, a water organ, surprise jets that drenched visitors' finery when the fontanieri opened secret spigots, offered striking juxtapositions of Art with imitations of rugged Nature.

en.wikipedia.org...

Rich people are funny.