Giardino Buonaccorsi

Time stands still at the Gardens of the Villa Buonaccorsi in Le Marche. Located outside Potenza Picena, the Baroque gardens are a perfectly preserved landscape from the 1700s based on symmetry and geometry. Descendents of the Buonaccorsi family still maintain the historic property.

The garden is situated near Recanati, between Macerata and the Adriatic Sea. It was laid out in the 1700s and is one of the few gardens in Italy that maintains the original garden plan intact in every detail. There are five terraces of geometrically planned flower beds and plantings, repeating diamond and star patterns. Elegant statues line the rows and look out at the hills of the countryside. The property comprises 5 hectares and moves from the terraces down the hill towards the Asola stream and a woods with pines, cypress, linden and holm oaks.

There is the obligatory grotto and an artificial lake in the little woods. The original stone tables and chairs are still scattered about, and there are obelisks jutting upward along with a citrus grove. A secret garden by the chapel, a small theater and the grandiose Viale degli Imperatore, walkway of the Emperors, round out the attractions.

The Buonaccorsi Garden is open from April through September by appointment. Call to schedule a visit and you'll not be disappointed to step back in time at this captivating garden.