La Mortella, Ischia

The wife of British composer William Walton was inspired to design a tropical garden around their home on the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples by the distinctive setting of a place rich with thermal springs. The roots of plants that would not typically thrive here are protected by this natural warmth, which acts as a natural heating system.

The gardens, which today have more than 800 rare plants indigenous to four continents, were designed by British landscape architect Russell Page, who was hired by Lady Susana Walton in 1946. La Mortella, however, is more than just a botanical garden; it is a tranquil haven devoted to beauty and a venue for the arts, such as sculpture and music. Entering La Mortella is an experience that renews the sensitivity of the spirit. In March, the colors, transformed into a scale of chrome that passes through an autumn and a winter of decline, expose the newfound vigor that integrates elements like earth and water in the most varied forms of nature.