The newly restored Borges Labyrinth welcomes visitors to mark 40 years since the death of the Argentinian author who inspired it
After months of renovation, this week the Borges Labyrinth on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice reopened to the public. Originally planted in 2011, the maze was designed by British diplomat and labyrinthologist Randoll Coate, who was inspired by The Garden of Forking Paths, a short story by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges.
The original Borges Labyrinth was constructed in San Rafael, Argentina, in 2003. At the behest of the author’s widow, Maria Kodama, the Venetian maze was proposed, at a fourth of the size, within the grounds of San Giorgio Maggiore basilica. The design, when viewed from above, resembles an open book, with Borges’ name on the ‘pages’ and symbols including a walking stick, hourglass and giant question mark.
