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Franco Maria Ricci was a publisher from Parma, famous for FMR, an art magazine of unusual luxury, and for his devotion to the printer Giambattista Bodoni. In later life he built the Labirinto della Masone at Fontanellato to keep a promise to Jorge Luis Borges, and to house the art he had collected.
Below: Ricci's life and publishing, why he built a maze, what is in the collection, the Bodoni books, the architecture, the 2026 exhibitions and practical tips for the museum. Facts come from the Labirinto's official pages, Wikipedia and Google Arts & Culture.
The quick answer
The collection holds about 500 works from the 16th to the 20th century, gathered by Franco Maria Ricci (1937 to 2020): Carracci, Cambiaso, Ligozzi, Hayez, Wildt, Ligabue and Savinio among them, displayed by association rather than by date, with Bodoni books and Ricci's publishing archive. It is in the standard EUR 20 ticket, with the temporary exhibition: in autumn 2026, 'VISIONS: Milo Manara in the Labyrinth', from 3 October 2026 to 6 January 2027. The official site suggests about 45 minutes.
Who was Franco Maria Ricci?
An Italian art publisher, born in Parma on 2 December 1937, who died at Fontanellato on 10 September 2020. He founded the FMR publishing house and the magazine FMR, and created the Labirinto della Masone.
He graduated in geology at the University of Parma before turning to publishing. According to Google Arts & Culture, his first venture, in the mid-1960s, was a reprint of Giambattista Bodoni's Manuale Tipografico, the great type specimen book of the Parma printer; the study of Bodoni's work and style stayed with him all his life. Italian Wikipedia dates the founding of his publishing house in Parma to 1965.
What was FMR magazine?
An art magazine Ricci launched in 1982, bi-monthly and published in Italian, English, German, French and Spanish for over 27 years.
Ricci also published the original edition of Luigi Serafini's Codex Seraphinianus, whose original plates are kept at the Labirinto, and the book series La Biblioteca di Babele, edited by Jorge Luis Borges. He sold the magazine and the publishing house in the 2000s and took them back in 2015, the year the Labirinto opened. The bookshop at the Labirinto sells the recent Franco Maria Ricci Editore titles.
Why did Franco Maria Ricci build a labyrinth?
To keep a promise to his friend Jorge Luis Borges, whose stories are full of labyrinths: the official site says Ricci promised him in 1977 to build the largest labyrinth in the world. Other sources date the promise to the 1980s.
The maze opened in May 2015, on 29 May according to Italian Wikipedia. Ricci chose bamboo, the official site says, because it grows fast, keeps its leaves all year and absorbs CO2. The plan is a square with a star-shaped perimeter, and the path leads to a brick pyramid at the centre, a small chapel that the official site links to the ancient bond between the labyrinth and faith.
One ticket for the maze Ricci promised Borges and the collection he built it for, with free cancellation.
Check dates for the Labirinto entry ticketWhat is in the Franco Maria Ricci collection?
About 500 works from the 16th to the 20th century: paintings, sculpture and objects, from Mannerists such as Carracci and Cambiaso to Hayez, Wildt, Ligabue and Savinio.
The official collection page names Carracci and Cambiaso among the Mannerists; Boudard, Baldrighi and Ferrari from the years of the Duchy of Parma; Hayez, Wildt, Ligabue and Savinio; and Ligozzi's Vanitas still lifes. The Italian page also names Canova and Bernini. The display proceeds by associations rather than strict chronology, with Napoleonic terracotta busts and Art Deco pieces among the surprises. Visitors report there is little explanatory signage, so read up before you go, or ask about a guided visit.
The collection, the exhibition and the maze on one ticket, with 5% off Franco Maria Ricci Editore books in the shop.
Explore the Labirinto entry ticketWhat are the Bodoni books?
Books printed by Giambattista Bodoni, the great printer of 18th-century Parma, whose typefaces Ricci loved. Italia.it counts about 1,200 Bodoni volumes, which it calls the largest private collection in the world.
That figure comes from one source, so treat it as approximate; the official collection page does not give a number. Ricci's library and publishing archive are kept at the Labirinto too. If you love typography, the Bodoni rooms and the bookshop may be the part of the visit you remember.
Who designed the Labirinto's buildings?
The architect Pier Carlo Bontempi, in neoclassical red brick inspired by Boullee and Ledoux; the design of the maze itself is credited to Davide Dutto.
The star-shaped plan echoes Renaissance ideal cities such as Palmanova and Sabbioneta, and Italian Wikipedia also cites Roman labyrinth mosaics. The buildings enclose two large porticoed courtyards. The central pyramid has been linked to Boullee's designs. Inside the complex are the collection, the exhibition rooms, a restaurant, a bistro and two suites, whose stay includes a guided tour of the collection.
What exhibitions are on at the Labirinto in 2026?
'VISIONS: Milo Manara in the Labyrinth', on the Italian comics artist, runs from 3 October 2026 to 6 January 2027 and is included in the standard ticket. The Erte exhibition closed on 13 September 2026.
The 2026 season opened with 'Knock Knock Knock. Iron Guardians from the Cesati Collection', which ran until 8 March 2026, followed by 'Erte. Style is Everything' from 28 March to 13 September 2026. Earlier shows included Bertozzi & Casoni (2024 to 2025) and 'From Serafini to Luigi' (2025). Note that the central courtyard is closed on 30 September and 1 October 2026, just before the Manara show opens.
Milo Manara's exhibition is in the standard ticket from 3 October: book a slot for an autumn weekend.
Check dates for the Labirinto entry ticketHow long do you need for the collection, and are there guided tours?
About 45 minutes, according to the official site. Guided tours with art historians are arranged through the Fondazione Franco Maria Ricci; the price is not published.
Ask the foundation about guided visits; groups book at [email protected]. The only guided visit sold on the booking platforms is a private castle and maze day ($223 per person), which spends about 3 hours at the Labirinto and the collection; it is non-refundable. For timings of the whole visit, see how long the Labirinto takes.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Franco Maria Ricci collection included in the ticket?
Yes. The EUR 20 ticket covers the maze, the permanent collection and the temporary exhibition.
How many works are in the collection?
About 500, from the 16th to the 20th century.
When did Ricci promise Borges a labyrinth?
In 1977, according to the official site; other sources say the 1980s.
Is the Milo Manara exhibition extra?
No. 'VISIONS: Milo Manara in the Labyrinth' (3 October 2026 to 6 January 2027) is included in the standard ticket.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Labirinto della Masone Full-Day Entry Ticket
- Entry to the labyrinth, the art collection and the temporary exhibition
- In and out all day from the time slot you book
- 5% off Franco Maria Ricci Editore books and a discount at Rocca Sanvitale
Private Parma Art Day with the Pilotta Gallery
Correggio and the Pilotta, tickets included
