“This lonely hill was always dear to me, and this hedgerow, which cuts off the view of so much of the last horizon…” It is here, in the garden of the monastery of Santo Stefano, not far from his family home that Giacomo Leopardi set his famous poem “L’Infinito”.

The Orto sul Colle dell’Infinito, a garden on the hill that inspired the poem by the same name composed by Leopardi has been recently renovated under the direction of landscape designer Paolo Pejrone who in his intervention has been able to integrate literary history, gardening tradition, and contemporary interpretation with officinal plants, meadow flowers, fruit trees, and vegetable patches connected by pathways under garden bowers where the poet used to walk two centuries ago. Used for centuries as vegetable patch by the nuns living in the 15th century monastery of Santo Stefano, this is a space historically dedicated to work and to meditative atmospheres typical of a convent. Delimited by the city walls of Recanati, this green area occupies a particular position, both isolated and elevated, appearing as a terrace garden, almost a balcony affording a sweeping view of the Marche hills between the Sibillini mountains and the sea. This is where Leopardi found peace and solitude, where his vision could stretch as far as the eye can see, beyond the plants surrounding the garden, inspiring that sense of infinity he immortalised in his poem. The managing of the project and the care of the Orto have been entrusted to FAI Fondo Ambiente Italiano that has focused its intervention on highlighting the relation between two aspects of the Colle dell’Infinito: on the one hand its landscape, on the other its philosophical and poetical qualities. Guided tours combining time outdoors in the Orto and multimedia projections are available to discover the garden as well as the history, meaning and universal value of this short poem, a masterpiece of Italian culture.

Highlights