The Tour of Labyrinths

The Tour of Labyrinths. This tour will take you to three of the most beautiful labyrinths of Veneto: the labyrinth of the Monumental Garden of Valsanzibio, the labyrinth of the Castle of San Pelagio and the largest lavender labyrinth in Italy.

You can enjoy your tour as a playful, leisurely experience among the intricate hedges and grassy corridors, or as an introspective experience, reflecting on the symbolism of the places you will visit. The three stages of the tour are, in fact, reminiscent of the three stages of Dante's famous journey: hell, purgatory and paradise. 

The Labyrinth of the Monumental Garden of Valsanzibio. The first stop will be the centuries-old Labyrinth of the Monumental Garden of Valsanzibio, consisting of six thousand evergreen boxwood shrubs planted between 1664-1669. Designed by architect Luigi Bernini on the instructions of San Gregorio Barbarigo, this labyrinth represents the arduous path of human perfectibility. You will proceed between the high boxwood walls, searching for the way out. There will be many shortcuts that will mislead you, leading you into one of six dead ends, symbolising the deadly vices of Gluttony, Lust, Avarice, Sloth, Wrath and Envy, or into the vicious circle representing Pride.  The lesson this labyrinth will leave you with is that the right path is never the seemingly shortest one. Once out of this 'hellish' labyrinth, you will be ready to face purgatory.

When you arrive at the Castle of San Pelagio, you will walk through the mirror labyrinth, symbol of disorientation: you risk losing your sense of direction and, through a visual game that creates a sense of estrangement, even yourself. The labyrinth, with no dead ends, represents purgatory, a spiral with only one exit. Once you understand the key to liberation - retracing your steps - you will be ready for paradise.

The last labyrinth will take you to a heavenly place, immersed in the green Veneto countryside where horses live following the natural method. In this place of peace and silence, you will walk through a lavender labyrinth inspired by the one created at Notre Dame de Chartes by the Knights Templar. Inebriated by the scent of this officinal plant and free of all worries, you will end your journey aware that the tortuous path of life is worth living in order to achieve your dreams and goals.