The magnificent Borges Labyrinth on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore reopens
di Redazione VeNews
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Forty years after the death of the celebrated Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986), the garden labyrinth on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, designed in his honour by architect Randoll Coate, has reopened to visitors following an extensive conservation project.
Although the labyrinth was originally conceived many years earlier, it was completed in 2011 to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Borges’ death and officially opened to the public ten years later.
The labyrinth is a recurring metaphor throughout Borges’ literary work, evoking the circular return of time, the enigma, the infinite paths of knowledge, mirrors and branching choices. A great admirer of Venice, Borges himself described the city as a labyrinth.
Coate’s translation of this imagery into a landscape design is itself something of an enigma, a fitting tribute to the author of The Garden of Forking Paths (1941). The wonder of the labyrinth gradually reveals itself through symbols associated with the Argentine writer: along seemingly regular boxwood hedges appear mirrors, hourglasses and even the initials of Borges’ wife. Seen from above, meanwhile, the labyrinth forms the surname “Borges”, legible from two different viewpoints.
Jorge Luis Borges and Maria Kodama in San Giorgio, 1984, ph. di Graziano Arici, courtesy Fondazione Giorgio Cini
Promoted by Fondazione Giorgio Cini and PwC Italia, the restoration project represents a contemporary reinterpretation that combines rigorous conservation with creative vision while preserving the three fundamental pillars of the original concept: architecture, literature and landscape. Since opening to the public, the Borges Labyrinth has welcomed more than 25,000 visitors, becoming one of the best-known labyrinths in Italy and internationally.
After fifteen years, the many boxwood plants (Buxus sempervirens) had gradually lost their original uniformity. The restoration began with the removal and replacement of 165 damaged plants, followed by the planting of new specimens of the same species, selected with already well-developed foliage and carefully pruned to preserve the existing shape. At the same time, invasive weeds were removed manually throughout the labyrinth, encouraging the healthy growth of the new plants while restoring the overall harmony of the site.
As Renata Codello, Secretary General of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, explained: “This intervention demonstrates that it is possible to restore a living architectural work that is at once volume, geometry, contemplative space and a page of literature.”
Labirinth view, Venice, ph Matteo De Fina, courtesy Fondazione Giorgio Cini
In addition to restoring the vegetation and irrigation system, two major improvements were carried out to enhance the labyrinth’s accessibility. The first concerned the entrance pathway, where excess gravel was removed, the routes were re-levelled, and cellular paving panels were installed to create paths certified as accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. These stabilisation works provide a natural, pleasant and safe surface leading to the labyrinth.
Thanks to a partnership with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired, a tactile map has also been created and installed. Reproducing and explaining the layout of the labyrinth, it enables visitors to familiarise themselves with the route before entering the winding boxwood pathways.
“The restoration of the Borges Labyrinth,” commented Giovanni Andrea Toselli, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PwC Italia, “is a particularly significant project because it combines heritage conservation, cultural enhancement and a strong commitment to accessibility. This is the direction of our work through PwC for Culture: supporting leading cultural institutions in projects that preserve memory, foster participation and create value for communities.”
The Borges Labyrinth is now once again open to all visitors.
