Il grottinoDomenico Brizi (b. 1925)

After working first as a farmer in Piansano, and then for several years in Rome as a servant and janitor at Cinecittà, Brizi retired and began to explore his artistic inclinations on his property on the outskirts of Piansano. He said that a downpour forced him to remain in a small grotto on his property, which had served as wine storage and as a shelter for garden tools. Forced to remain inside during the heavy rain, he amused himself by using his tools, right at hand, to begin carving a donkey on the tufa walls. Excited and energized, he continued to carve the walls, adding faces, figures, and more animals, filling the space and later painting many of the bas-relief carvings in bright colors. In addition to the carved stone works, he also carved many wooden figures, which he arranged around the cave. He painted the door, walls, and gates as well.

Due to work on the nearby road, the grotto has been infiltrated by water, and many figures have been ruined.

~Gabriele Mina

www.costruttoridibabele.net

Piansano, Lazio, 01010 it
Latitude/Longitude: 42.520059 / 11.828866

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