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The Laberint d’Horta reveals the hidden veins of its historic garden
The heart of the Laberint d’Horta has been beating since 1791 and has just revealed one of its oldest arteries: the original irrigation system, uncovered thanks to an archaeological intervention that is part of the park’s historical and landscape restoration project.
The excavations have made it possible to identify the exact point where the water entered, in the eastern corner, and how it was distributed to the flowerbeds through a network of built channels. The secret lay in the natural drop of 2.37 metres, which guided the flow from section to section until it exited to the south. A simple but brilliant method that ensured the cypresses and flowers of the garden had the moisture they needed to thrive.
The discovery sheds light on the vision of the marquess of Llupià, de Poal y d’Alfarràs, who in the XVIII century entrusted Devalet, Valls y Bagutti with the creation of a landscape capable of uniting art, nature and technique.
Today, as a garden museum, the Laberint not only fascinates with its sculptures and romantic paths: it also reminds us that, beneath the visible beauty, a feat of hydraulic engineering once flowed, allowing that aristocratic dream to survive the passage of time.