In 1956, landscape architect Russel Page was commissioned to create a garden for the composer Sir William Walton and his wife, Lady Susana. The garden was designed to surround the couple's house in the beautiful island of Ischia and merge the picturesque, rusticity of the natural vegetation with Modernist design. Today, La Mortella is known as one of the most important designed landscapes in southern Italy and a trove for exotic plants acclimatised to the island.
Around the same time the duke Luigi Silvestro Camerini was designing his personal Eden just a stone's throw from Sir Walton. He gathered exotic species he had discovered during his numerous trips, and created a unique buen ritiro (beautiful retreat) for his family. After the death of the duke, his son continued the family tradition transforming this botanical garden into a thermal resort and contemporary art space.
The two gardens represent the golden age of the island of Ischia, a time when actors, philosophers, musicians and style makers chose this island as resort for their meditative holidays. The parks also show how a structure that can be attractive to intelligent travelers is also respectful of the environment and of the genius loci. Context's garden excursion to Ischia is meant to give a deeper understanding and appreciation for the beauty of the island and its natural resources.
This is a privately arranged itinerary. We therefore ask that you use the 'special requests' box in the reservation process to provide us some more detailed information about your interests and background. This will help your docent design a specific itinerary to suit your needs.