Half man, half mountain, the gigantic sculpture more than ten meters high born from the mind of the Flemish artist Jean de Boulogne known as Giambologna, is located at the center of the Medici Park of Pratolino (Fi), also known as Villa Demidoff, from the family of industrialists of Russian origin who bought it in 1872.
The statue, which is the symbol of the rugged Italian Apennine mountains, was made in the second half of the 16th century. The figure is so realistic that it immediately became the main attraction of the Medici Park wanted by Francesco I, one of the largest in Tuscany, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
A peculiarity of the Colossus is that the pensive giant seems to come out of the pond, an effect artfully studied by Giambologna who covered the lower part of the statue with mud, lichens, fountains and limestone creations. However, the aesthetic side is not the only reason that attracts hundreds of tourists.
It is said, in fact, that the plaster and stone-clad giant carries a secret, housing in its belly mysterious rooms and caves that once must have been many more. Inside the head was even designed a chimney that, from access, would blow smoke out of the nostrils of the giant. Through the snake’s mouth, located under the Giant’s left hand, a stream of water would flow down into the pool below.
