Looming 35 feet over the Villa di Pratolino in Tuscany is an enormous sculpture called the Colosso dell’Appennino, or the Colossus of the Apennines. Made of brick and stone, the mountainous man was created in the 1580s by Flemish sculptor Jean Boulogne, also known as Giambologna in Italy.
Today, the park that houses the statue is called Villa Demidoff.
It sits just outside of Florence and is open to the public on weekends.
Giambolognna was a celebrated sculptor in his time, and he produced many famous works.
In fact, he was considered so good that the Medici family didn’t let him leave the city for fear that other patrons would steal him away!
The Colossus is impressive enough from the outside, but it’s hiding a pretty amazing secret on the inside.
It’s actually a building, as this small-scale model demonstrates.
There are multiple rooms hidden inside the giant’s body.
These steps lead to the secret rooms.
While they might have served as party rooms, legend has it that the interior chambers were actually used to create special effects for viewers looking at the piece from the outside.
From inside, people could make it look like water was flowing under the sculpture’s left hand, or like smoke was coming out of its nostrils.
(via Discover Tuscany, Bored Panda, Wikipedia)
If you’re in Tuscany between April and October, be sure to check out this centuries-old work of art and its hidden secrets. This sculpture is one of a kind.
