16th-Century ‘Colossus’ Sculpture Today I finally went to see Colossus! I have had so many people send me pictures of this statue telling me it is in Florence but for some reason I just haven't gotten around to actually going to see it. Well being my last week in Florence I made sure to make this happen. Villa di Pratolino is only open from Friday - Sunday 10am - 8pm so there is a short window to go. From my apartment it was only a 30min bus ride through the beautiful Tuscan hills (the bus ride was worth it on its own!). It was free to enter and we just wondered are way around until we came across this beautiful statue. The story behind Colossus is this: The half man, half mountain was created in the late 1500s by Italian sculptor Giambologna. It was created as a symbol of Italy’s Apennine mountains. This mountain god, named Appennino, stands 35 feet tall. This statue has a wonderful secret, the interior hides several rooms with different functions that made this colossus come to life. The monster that his left hand holds spews water from an underground stream, and it is rumoured that space in his head was made for a fireplace which, when lit, would blow smoke out of his nostrils. Yet another amazing and random find in the hills of Tuscany! See more pictures here. #Florence #FreeEntry #Colossus #Statue
Today I finally went to see Colossus! I have had so many people send me pictures of this statue telling me it is in Florence but for some reason I just haven't gotten around to actually going to see it. Well being my last week in Florence I made sure to make this happen. Villa di Pratolino is only open from Friday - Sunday 10am - 8pm so there is a short window to go. From my apartment it was only a 30min bus ride through the beautiful Tuscan hills (the bus ride was worth it on its own!). It was free to enter and we just wondered are way around until we came across this beautiful statue. The story behind Colossus is this: The half man, half mountain was created in the late 1500s by Italian sculptor Giambologna. It was created as a symbol of Italy’s Apennine mountains. This mountain god, named Appennino, stands 35 feet tall. This statue has a wonderful secret, the interior hides several rooms with different functions that made this colossus come to life. The monster that his left hand holds spews water from an underground stream, and it is rumoured that space in his head was made for a fireplace which, when lit, would blow smoke out of his nostrils. Yet another amazing and random find in the hills of Tuscany! See more pictures here. #Florence #FreeEntry #Colossus #Statue
