The labyrinth is meant to represent the inner bewilderment and feeling of being lost, typical of the 20th century, themes that Borges explored widely in his writings.įrom the entrance, one cannot see the exit nor the path that winds through curves and narrow passages and, as you keep going back and forth, you are caressed by tiny boxwood leaves, while you smell the scent of the earth and listen, via the audioguide, to a melody composed by Antonio Fresa performed with the Teatro della Fenice Orchestra. The plants’ hedges are arranged in such a way as to form the name ‘Borges’ twice. The intricate labyrinth is inspired by Borges’ short story “The Garden of Forking Paths.” Along the path, there are objects representing symbols dear to Borges: mirrors, hourglasses and a huge question mark. On the Island of San Giorgio in Venice, the enchanting Borges Labyrinth, built in 2011, has recently opened to the public (on June 11, 2021, to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Jorge Luis Borges).Ĭonsisting entirely of box trees (3,200), the labyrinth is a tribute to the writer from Buenos Aires. Which brings us to… Labirinto Borges - Isola di San Giorgio (Venice) It is no coincidence that several labyrinths around the world have been built in honor of him. In the creation of the labyrinth, Ricci was inspired by his encounters with the 20th-century Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, who introduced the theme of the labyrinth in many of his works.

There is also a bistro where you can savor the local cuisine (this is the heart of Emilia-Romagna’s Food Valley), curated by the award-winning chef Spigaroli. Only at the end of the labyrinth is it possible to access, symbolically purified, the Museum which houses the entire collection of the works of art Ricci collected in fifty years. “It is a maze for losing oneself in, for fantasizing and reflecting,” you read on the Masone Labyrinth website. There are approximately 200,000 bamboo plants belonging to different species in the labyrinth, ranging between 30 centimeters and 15 meters in height. Inspired by the fortified city of Palmanova, it is built entirely of bamboo, a plant that absorbs large quantities of carbon dioxide. In the Parmense countryside, the Masone Labyrinth, commissioned by the art publisher and editor Franco Maria Ricci, is the largest labyrinth in the world. It reflects the 'perplexed' experience we have of reality…” Franco Maria Ricci “The Labyrinth is a source of disturbance. Labirinto della Masone - Fontanellato (Parma) Castello di Donnafugata - Ragusa, Sicily.Labirinto di Valsanzibio - Galzignano Terme (Padova).Labirinto Borges - Isola di San Giorgio (Venice).Labirinto della Masone - Fontanellato (Parma).

The borges labyrinth