Bomarzo falls within the Etruscan area and housed the great necropolis of Pianmiano, excavated in 1800s and today forgotten: an area chosen by the Etruscans for its shape, volcanic tuff rock and excellent travertine for the graves. Bomarzo passed from the Romans to the Papal State and in medieval times it became a bishopric being birth place to Pontiff, Pope Sabiniano, 604-606. But the moment of greatest splendor of Bomarzo came when, in the Renaissance, the Orsini princes decided to build their magnificent palace and the Sacred Forest in the medieval center. This, known as the Park of Monsters of Bomarzo, is an essential stop for lovers of gardens and of grotesque architecture. Between 24 and 25 April there is the re-enactment of the "Palio" which runs between the five districts in which the area is divided.
