Orsini's Garden of Monsters: A Tribute to Giulia Farnese. #mystery #folklore #Giulia #tales
4Many have theorized that Orsini dedicated the garden to Giulia Farnese, his first wife, who was a friend and family of the commander with whom he fought but lost the battle.
Lynette Bosch investigated this theory as part of her research for Garden History.
Bosch was determined to know Giulia's lifespan, having gone through letters, journals, and whatever other records she could uncover, after Orsini was freed as a prisoner of war and before the garden was established.
Bosch discovered that the first monsters had been formed by 1552, but one of Orsini's contemporaries listed Giulia as being alive in a paper from 1556.
After exchanging several letters with Orsini, Bosch came to the conclusion that he had the octagonal Temple of Eternity, the tallest structure in the Garden of Monsters, sculpted as a tribute in her honor.