After the winter break, the Labirinto della Masone, the largest labyrinth in the world, reopens to the public. It was born in 2015 in Fontanellato (PR) from an idea of Franco Maria Ricci – publisher, designer, art collector and bibliophile – and from a promise he made in 1977 to the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, who had always been fascinated by the symbol of the labyrinth both in a metaphysical sense and as a metaphor for the human condition.
“I dreamt for the first time of building a Labyrinth about thirty years ago, during the period in which, on several occasions, I had as a guest, in my country house near Parma, a friend, as well as a very important collaborator of the publishing house I had founded: the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges”. Franco Maria Ricci
The Labirinto della Masone is the heart of a real and imaginary village, as conceived and designed by its creator together with architects Pier Carlo Bontempi and Davide Dutto. It is an eight-hectare cultural park with lush vegetation, a number of buildings housing art and book collections, as well as a cafeteria, a restaurant-bistro and a Parmesan food court, all run by chef Andrea Nizzi and the staff of the 12 Monaci, plus two luxurious suites where visitors can stay overnight.
Since its opening, the Labirinto della Masone has been a place where large spaces and contact with nature and beauty are an essential feature of the place. Not all labyrinths have Minotaurs, but there are some that are gardens of delight, veritable Eden in which you can lose yourself and find yourself in a timeless dimension, in total safety and tranquillity.
