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All Italy Fontanellato The Labirinto della Masone

The Labirinto della Masone

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

Fontanellato, Italy

Added By
Andrea IX
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An aerial view.   Massimo Dallaglio/Alamy
An aerial view.   Massimo Dallaglio/Alamy
Model of the labyrinth.   Andrea IX / Atlas Obscura User
Pyramid-shaped chapel during Sunn O))) concert in September 2016.   Andrea IX / Atlas Obscura User
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About

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.

Related Tags

Plants Art Museum Labyrinths World's Largest

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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Community Contributors

Added By

Andrea IX

Edited By

CDVV86, Kerry Wolfe

  • CDVV86
  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

May 8, 2019

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The Labirinto della Masone
121 Str. Masone
Fontanellato, 43012
Italy
44.853973, 10.146389
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