Active Analysis - CLIL THE GROTTO OF THE ANIMALS ARTIST Niccolò TRIBOLO and Giorgio VASARI TITLE The Grotto of the Animals DATE/YEAR 1543 ca. LOCATION  Florence, Villa di Castello Midway through the 1500s, an ancient  land-holding of Florence’s Medici family was transformed into a beautiful park with a villa, a formal garden and fountains. Many artists worked on the villa  and grounds; one was Niccolò Tribolo. It was his idea to lay out the  huge garden behind the villa. One of the most spectacular features of the garden is the famous ‘Grotto of the Animals’. The plans called for a statue of Orpheus at the center of the artificial cave, but it was never sculpted. A mechanism at the entrance to  the grotto refreshed visitors with sprays of water from the vaulted ceiling. Water also flowed from the walls onto the floor, which took on a brilliant, lively color. Observe the Grotto and answer the questions below.  1    Why is this construction called the ‘Grotto of the  Animals’? ................................................................................................................................................  2    What are the sculptures made of? ☐ Wood.  ☐ Differently-colored stones. ☐ Marble.  ☐ Glass. What animals do you recognize?  3    ................................................................................................................................................ What technique was used for the flooring?  4    ☐ Mosaic. ☐ Graffito. ☐ Watercolor. Choose the correct word or phrase. The walls of the Grotto are with   1    smooth / covered molded limestone ‘concretions’. The form of the large basin in the Grotto is   2    . oval / rectangular The animals are in .  3    bas-relief / freestanding