The sections I was going to explore this time were going to be more enclosed and forestry (is that even a word?).
As I first overlooked the expansive garden, a very symbolic path stood before me:
The line "all roads lead to Rome" stems from here. This path was built with Rome in eye, so following this path all the way would actually get you to the eternal city.
Should I start now?
As I began down the cobbled path, numerous statues stood all over:
A few were oddly missing:
They were also many lush paths that branched out along the way:
Really atmospheric stuff.
As I continued down, a beautiful fountain slowly came into view:
It was circular fountain and sprouted numerous sea-like imagery:
I turned to see the path I had just traveled.
Quite a stretch, wouldn't you say?
Some more striking sculptures crossed my path:
You see, what I find intriguing about these sculptures is their sense of movement. They don't look like statues, situated in a generic pose. They're captured in a life-like movement, making it all the more involving, interesting, and structurally dynamic.
I winged to the left and found a small garden which turned out to be much more than it seemed.
This garden is supposedly a recreation of a typical garden found in the ancient city of Pompeii:
Through archeological research and extensive historical work at the ancient site, they have been able to uncover some fascinating results, leading to this accomplishment.
It was quite cool to see a sprinkle of the past resurface like this. Although much architecture and design of the gardens are now quite primitive compared to today's standards, they remain a fascinating look into a forgotten period.
Check out my amazing skill for angles:
I continued on and soon found myself in huge, almost empty field.
Only a few sculptures stood tall:
While others were just non-existent:
I discovered these three sculptures settled deep within the gardens.
The contortions of their bodies were incredible:
Although the imagery was quite disturbing, they were utterly fascinating to observe.
As I arrived to the farthest reach of the gardens, I was presented with this giant sculpture:
Notice how his handle is oddly missing the actual sword:
Intentional or not? I know not...
Since I had reached to the end of the gardens, I thought a different route back would be a worthwhile and more surprising experience.
I took many different paths and roads as I hiked back up.
Some were quite daunting, but wickedly inspirational.
It was as if I was in the misty forests of Middle-earth.
There would also be long stretches where I would encounter no people. It was in periods like these that the fantastical side of me would really take off.
One of the oddest things I did encounter was this giant pebble:
What does it mean? I have no clue...
I ran into another one later on, though this one was lying down:
Modern art...
I also found this very colorful beetle along the way:
There was a very ancient fountain tucked away on the far right of the gardens:
At the top of the fountain, I stopped by this ridiculously creepy door:
And, found ANOTHER tub:
Gotta admit, due to the base, this one was much cooler.
Furthermore, a smaller grotto was located near the border:
Although nowhere as captivating as the Grotta di Buontalenti, it was nevertheless a splendid piece.
Talk about nature taking over:
Oh, and I stumbled on one more tub:
What is up with this garden and tubs!?!
Maybe it's an Italian thing...
After practically walking around this mad maze for about 2 1/2 hours, I began to notice repetition in my path.
My exploration was complete.
The Boboli Gardens are the quintessential escapism. Whether you interested in finding inspiration, looking to blow off some steam, or just wishing to get lost in a green maze of ancient wonder, the Gardens are an incredible spectacle and simply shows that humans aren't the only ones capable of creating art.
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