Franco Maria Ricci’s Masone Labyrinth has reopened. It is the largest labyrinth in the world.
The Labyrinth of the Masone, wanted by the publisher, designer, art collector and bibliophile Franco Maria Ricci in his estate of Fontanellato in the province of Parma, has reopened to the public after the short winter break. The cultural park, born in 2015 from a project by Franco Maria Ricci himself together with architects Pier Carlo Bontempi and Davide Dutto, is a village that extends for eight hectares where time seems to have stopped, a place to discover and rediscover more and more vaults and, together, an unusual museum full of significant works for the history of Italian and international art.
Spending an hour or a day at the Labirinto della Masone is a unique and unrepeatable experience that can start by entering the maze made up of more than 300,000 bamboo plants of 20 different species, conceived by Franco Maria Ricci and the result of a promise made by him in 1977 to the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, who has always been fascinated by the symbol of the labyrinth both in a metaphysical key and as a metaphor for the human condition.
It is beautiful, mysterious and intriguing at the same time to travel this tangle of crossroads and dead ends over three kilometers long, an experience for the eyes and for the mind that stimulates reflection and creativity. There are those who immediately find the exit and those who get lost among the tall bamboo canes, but the experience at the Labirinto della Masone does not end there.
There is the Museum which houses the vast art collection of Franco Maria Ricci and tells of his extraordinary eclecticism. A collection by theme that spans the centuries between references and juxtapositions: about four hundred works including paintings, sculptures and art objects ranging from large seventeenth-century sculpture to neoclassical sculpture, from still lifes to busts from the Napoleonic era, to romantic painting up to the popular one of the nineteenth century. Not only that, along the way you can see some of the many books published by Franco Maria Ricci, many of which can be consulted, and some rare editions of printed volumes.
Art, nature, but also good food and relaxation at the Labirinto della Masone which houses the Ristorante dei 12 Monaci with dishes signed by chef Andrea Nizzi, a mix of tradition and innovation, between flavors of Parma cuisine and the most modern techniques of cooking and storage. And yet the Bistrò for a quicker lunch or snack and the Shop/Gastronomy where you can buy excellent and carefully selected local food and wine products. And for those who still don’t want to leave the Labyrinth, two luxurious suites are available to guests, finished with decorations, works of art and refined furnishings, to enjoy a unique and evocative stay experience.
The Masone Labyrinth is an Eden in which to wander and get lost, whose center is occupied by a pyramid-shaped chapel, to symbolize the ancient link between labyrinths and Faith. An extraordinary architectural complex that also offers a large exhibition program and events throughout the year, which enriches the visit for lovers of art, literature and more, exploring different themes, but always similar to the passions that have guided the activity and life of Franco Maria Ricci.
