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Laberint d’Horta uncovers 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, at the eastern corner, and how it was distributed to the flowerbeds through a network of constructed channels. The secret lay in the natural 2.37-metre slope, which guided the flow from section to section until it exited to the south. A simple yet brilliant method, which guaranteed the moisture needed for the garden’s cypresses and flowers to thrive.
The discovery sheds light on the vision of the Marquess of Llupià, de Poal y d’Alfarràs, who in the 18th century entrusted Devalet, Valls y Bagutti with creating a landscape capable of bringing together art, nature and technique.
Today, transformed into a garden museum, the Laberint not only fascinates with its sculptures and romantic paths: it also reminds us that beneath the visible beauty flowed a hydraulic ingenuity that allowed that aristocratic dream to survive the passage of time.
Photo by barcelona.cat