Roaming the landscapes north of Florence, Italy, nature lovers have encountered a mighty guardian. Between the trees and following the flow of the water, the Colossus of the Apennines stands vigilantly waiting for the curious visitors who have come to this magical place since the 16th century.
Now this monumental sculpture lies in complete tranquility and surrounded by greenish tones. Her gaze is lost in the deep lake that falls at her feet, almost as if looking for the bronze statues that accompanied her a few years ago.
Since its creation in 1580 by the Italian sculptor Giambologna, the Colossus of the Apennines has remained a reverberation of human passions. The story goes that the park of Villa Demidoff was once the love offering for the mistress of an Italian duke.
The Colossus of the Apennines is reborn in a new story
At present, this park has been taken over by the passion of nature. In each corner of the sculpture, above it and below, it is observed how the attraction between the human being and nature became one.
The giant is still standing anchored to the deep roots of the earth and water. The love that was once manifested there now lives intact in the exciting growth of the plants. Nature has adopted the Colossus of the Apennines as its greatest symbol of union and unbreakable love.
Instead of disappearing and becoming ruins, the giant was transformed to become one with nature. The boundaries have been erased and a new version of Italian romance has been born in the gardens of Villa Demidoff where rocks and plants tell their own love story.
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