Italian
The Borges Labyrinth, restored 15 years after its creation and 40 years after the passing of the great writer, with the Giorgio Cini Foundation and PwC Italy completing maintenance work on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice
The restoration of the Labyrinth of the Giorgio Cini Foundation has been presented, dedicated to the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899 – 1986), of which this year marks the fortieth anniversary of his passing.
Considered one of the most beautiful and evocative labyrinths in Italy, it is renewed after fifteen years of existence, thanks to the support of PwC Italy, which participated as the main sponsor in the important restoration operation.
The Borges Labyrinth has become an iconic place on the Island of San Giorgio and an integral part of the monumental area, almost a third cloister, after those of Buora and Palladio, capable of uniting the ancient with the contemporary, architecture with literature, and the landscape. Open to the public in 2021, thanks to guided tours organized by VisitCini, it has been visited by over 25 thousand people in the last five years.
Renata Codello, Secretary General of the Giorgio Cini Foundation:
“The restoration and ongoing care activities of the island and its heritage have been a foundational element of Cini since 1951. A constant effort, a precise long-term project, both scientific and visionary, based on an idea of conservative restoration that is not emergency-driven but rather a translation into the contemporary. The Giorgio Cini Foundation has always envisioned the island as a restoration laboratory in the heart of the city of water, bridging the past and the future, combining rigor and creative challenge. This intervention at the Labyrinth demonstrates how it is possible to carry out the restoration of a vegetal architecture that is volume, geometries, meditative space, and a page of literature.”
Giovanni Andrea Toselli, President and CEO of PwC Italy:
“The restoration of the Borges Labyrinth represents a particularly significant project for PwC Italy because it combines heritage protection, cultural enhancement, and attention to accessibility. Supporting this initiative together with the Giorgio Cini Foundation means contributing to making a place of great artistic and symbolic value more accessible and open to diverse audiences, while respecting the unique context of the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore. This is the direction in which our commitment through PwC for Culture is headed.”
The restoration intervention
The activities began with the removal of 165 boxwood plants (Buxus sempervirens) that were dead or compromised and a complete check of the irrigation system. Following the inspections carried out, the non-functioning lines were replaced, thus restoring the full efficiency of the system.
The ground interventions included fertilization and the addition of about two cubic meters of new soil suitable for promoting the proper rooting of the plantings. Subsequently, new plants of boxwood of the same species were planted, selected with a well-developed crown, and pruned to harmonize with the existing shape of the maze.
Thanks to the constant monitoring of the vegetative state of the plants and the irrigations, it was possible to verify the rooting of the new species. The plants that did not respond positively were replaced with an additional 30 specimens. Alongside these operations, manual removal of the weeds present throughout the maze was carried out to promote the development of the new plants and maintain overall harmony.
An even more accessible place
The restoration also included two important interventions to expand accessibility to the labyrinth.
The first concerns the entrance pathway, with the removal of excess gravel, the marking and leveling of the paths, and the installation of honeycomb panels, certified for the creation of accessible paths for people with mobility disabilities. The consistency of the surface of the access paths to the maze, made possible by this gravel stabilization intervention, makes the access route natural, pleasant, and safe.
Thanks to the partnership with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired, represented by the President of the Territorial Section of Venice, Gabriele Marino, a tactile map has also been created and placed, which reproduces and explains the Labyrinth, allowing visitors to have information about the route before immersing themselves in the boxwood alleys.
Renata Coldello emphasizes, “The issue of accessibility to cultural venues is much broader than commonly imagined. In the era of longevity, we need to create new forms of hospitality: the beauty of places, which contributes so much to people’s well-being, requires concrete actions. Families and younger people have different ways of perceiving the attractiveness of art venues and engaging with them: providing a positive experience that can be shared with others is an important theme of inclusion.”
The Labyrinth will be open for visits from mid-July, as will be indicated on the website visitcini.com, with adjusted opening hours designed to accommodate all visitors.
In autumn, PwC Italy will also offer the public a weekend of free access to the Borges Labyrinth, providing everyone with the opportunity to experience the immersive environment in the greenery of San Giorgio Island. Details and booking procedures will be communicated through the official channels of the Giorgio Cini Foundation and PwC Italy.
Note – This statement is published in full as an external contribution, therefore the content is not an article produced by the author, nor by the editorial staff of “Il Nuovo Terraglio”
