Amazing 16th Century Giant Statue Of A Guardian Colossus Made In Stone and Brick
If you ever travel to Florence in Italy, the Park of Pratolino is a beautiful and historically rich tourist attraction that one should not miss.
The park is part of an estate that was bought by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de Medici as a gift for his mistress Bianca Cappello.
Back then, the duke hired a famous architect to build a place that enchants the sight even today. A lavish villa was built and the surrounding gardens with their water fountains, bronze statues, and flowers were so magnificent that the whole place looks like taken out of a fairy tale.
But one of the things that stand out of all this mesmerizing location, is the brooding stone guardian, the statue of the Colossus of the Apennines.
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This is one of the last surviving statues in the Park of Pratolino nowadays. It was made by the Italian sculptor Giambologna.
With the passing of time, and the death of Francesco and Bianca, the estate and park slowly crept into ruin. Years later, the villa was torn down, and with it, the park also lost its former magnificence and slowly faded away.
Luckily, in 1872 the estate was bought by the Russian prince, Paolo ll Demidoff. Under his supervision, the estate was rebuilt and reinstated to its former glory. The abandoned park was also brought back to life.
A century later the Provence Council of Florence decided to buy the villa and would later open it to the general public.
A last remaining guardian of times long past: The 16th century Colossus of Apennines peacefully watches over the Park of Pratolino
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Among all the initial statues and structures built back in the 16th century, only the gentle giant remains.
Impressive in size and posture the giant has withstood the test of time and for over 400 hundred years he’s been watching over the domain.
A few ancient steps allowed people to climb on the giant’s shoulders and look into the distance. And at the base of the giant’s statue, there is a hidden grotto, possibly a secret place of meeting for the lovers of the past.
[maxbutton id=”2″ url=”http://andreasangelidakis.blogspot.lt/2009/07/demidoff-garden-of-vexation.html” text=”Andreas Angelidakis”]
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Nowadays people from all over the world can see the majestic giant since the park is open to visitors during weekends and on holidays.
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