The Maze of the Masone (Labirinto della Masone) near Fontanellato in the province of Parma, is a treat and an indulgence for lovers of mystery, and is the brainchild of the publisher, designer, art collector and bibliophile Franco Maria Ricci.
The Maze also hosts exhibitions and events year-around
The Maze which is on his estate has reopened to the public after a short winter break and is an Eden in which to wander and get lost. At its center there is a pyramid-shaped chapel, symbolizing the ancient link between mazes and Faith. This extraordinary architectural complex also has a rich exhibition and event programme throughout the year which greatly enhances the visit for lovers of mystery, art, literature and more, as it delves into different themes related to the passions that guided the activity and life of Franco Maria Ricci.
The Maze is the result of a promise made to writer Jorge Luis Borges
The cultural park, created in 2015 on a project by Franco Maria Ricci together with architects Pier Carlo Bontempi and Davide Dutto, is an eight-hectare hamlet where time seems to stand still, a place to be discovered and rediscovered over, and over again. Spending an hour, or a day at the Maze of the Masone is a unique experience that can begin by entering the labyrinth composed of more than 300,000 bamboo plants of 20 different species. This is the result of a promise Franco Maria Ricci made in 1977 to the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, who had always been fascinated by the symbol of the maze, both in a metaphysical key and as a metaphor for the human condition.
The Maze is three kilometres long and made of 300,000 tall bamboo plants
The Maze of the Masone is beautiful, mysterious and intriguing, and to walk through this more than three-kilometre-long tangle of twists and blind alleys is an experience for the eyes and mind that stimulates reflection and creativity. Some find the exit immediately, while other lovers of mystery get lost among the tall bamboo canes, and the experience at the Maze of the Masone does not end there. There is also the Museoche museum that houses the vast art collection of Franco Maria Ricci and narrates his extraordinary eclecticism.
The collection of Franco Maria Ricci counts some 400 works of art
The thematic collection in the museum consists of some four hundred works, including paintings, sculptures and objets d'art, ranging from great 17th-century to neoclassical sculpture, from still lifes to Napoleonic busts, from Romantic to popular 19th-century painting. But it is not just art and nature, as there is also good food and relaxation in the Ristorante dei 12 Monacone where dishes created by chef Andrea Nizzi blend tradition and innovation with the flavours of Parma’s cuisine and modern culinary and preservation techniques. There is also the Bistrò for a quick lunch or snack, and the gastronomy shop where you can buy excellent and selected local foods and wines.
Two luxurious suites for an added frisson of excitement
And for those lovers of mystery who don't want to leave the Maze yet, and want to experience an added frisson of excitement during their visit, the two luxurious suites with works of art and refined furnishings, are an invitation to enjoy a unique and evocative stay in this extraordinary complex.
