The Labirinto della Masone – Fontanellato, Italy - Atlas Obscura

The Labirinto della Masone

Fontanellato, Italy

The world's largest bamboo labyrinth is a living demonstration of the plant’s immense potential. 

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The Labirinto della Masone, a cultural park, is home to the world’s largest bamboo labyrinth. It’s the brainchild of Franco Maria Ricci, a publisher, art collector, and bibliophile with an interest in bamboo.

The cultural park is home to about 20 different species of bamboo, ranging from dwarf to giant. The labyrinth is a living demonstration of the plant’s immense potential. Even the parquet floors of the park’s buildings were made of the same material.

The labyrinth takes the shape of an eight-pointed star, a nod to star-shaped fortress cities. Because you can’t quite appreciate the scope of the labyrinth while you’re wandering through it, there’s a model at the site that lets you appreciate the structure in all its scaled-down glory.

The whole complex covers about 17 acres. There’s a building that houses Ricci’s art collection, about 500 works ranging from the 16th to the 20th century. There’s also a library dedicated to the most illustrious examples of typography and graphics. In the middle of the maze, there is a square surrounded by arcades and large halls. Overlooking the square, a pyramid-shaped chapel recalls the labyrinth as a symbol of faith.

Know Before You Go

The Labyrinth of the Masone is open every day, including holidays. It is closed on Tuesdays and during public holidays such as December 25 and January 1. For more information visit the official website.

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May 8, 2019

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