La Mortella garden

This beautiful hillside garden on the island of Ischia was created by the composer William Walton and his wife Susanna. After entering into a lush tropical paradise, the winding paths through the garden take you on a gradual climb through a rich variety of planting, from semi-desert conditions to the mystical East. There is an open-air amphitheatre, built into the rock face with glorious views across the bay to Forio, which stages classical concerts on summer evenings. When you leave the garden and look back up at the hillside it is scarcely visible – the steepness of the surrounding volcanic hillside makes you realise what an achievement of imagination and structure over nature La Mortella is, whilst suiting its sun-baked and beautiful location perfectly.