Regno due Sicilie: the most beautiful green terraces overlooking the sea, Mortella, Negombo and Villa San Michele

A journey of discovery of the most beautiful Italian gardens that not only boast botanical heritages of historical and natural interest, but also offer natural terraces from which you can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea.

In Campania i Mortella Gardens and the Negombo Hydrothermal Park are the two indigenous pearls of theIsland of Ischia. The La Mortella Gardens, born out of Lady Walton's love and passion, are located in Forio d'Ischia, the largest of the island's six municipalities, in a village that still maintains intact its tradition of historic shops and small restaurants where you can enjoy Neapolitan specialities. A visit to this admirable botanical treasure chest takes at least two hours. The most spectacular spot is near Sir Walton's pyramidal rock, which holds his ashes, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the waters lapping the island and get a panoramic view of the entire garden. If romance and melancholy are the emotions that dominate these gardens, a completely different spirit envelops the Negombo Hydrothermal Park. The hydrothermal park, created as a garden of delights for the Fulceri Camerini family, owes much of its current appearance to the intervention of landscape architect Ermanno Casasco. The garden, the pride of Lacco Ameno, the smallest of the island's municipalities, integrates native flora with botanical collections from Australia, Japan, South Africa from Brazil and is embellished by impressive sculptures such as 'Arc-en-ciel' by Arnaldo Pomodoro, 'Strale per il Negombo' by Lucio del Pezzo, 'Gli occhi di Nesti e di Neri' by Laura Panno, 'Volo' by Giuseppe Maraniello and the recent installation 'Sprigionamenti' by Gianfranco Pardi.

Further south, on the island of Capri è Villa San Michele to conquer with its charm. The Villa rose to fame after the publication and success in 1929 of the book 'The Story of San Michele". Since then, the house of the court physician and writer Axel Munthe has opened its gates to the public, never to close them again. What will remain in your heart are the splendid views from the terraces onto the Bay of Naples, as well as the bright colours of the garden that stand out among the green vegetation of cypresses, thuja, ivy, boxwood and moss. Everywhere one finds vases, amphorae and works of art.

Three concert seasons are held during the year: in Spring and Autumn the Chamber Music recitals, held every Saturday and Sunday in the Recital Hall; in Summer the Festival for Youth Orchestras, with concerts of Symphonic Music, held on Thursday evenings in the Greek Theatre. These concerts always feature young musicians (maximum age 32), to fulfil the wish expressed by William Walton that La Mortella could help young talent to take flight.

• The Chamber Music Season is carried out in cooperation with the Accademia di Santa Cecilia (Rome), the Accademia di San Pietro a Maiella (Naples), the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole and the Conservatorio di Avellino; the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Wales) also collaborates on this programme. These schools select their best students and send them to Ischia to perform a concert.The basic idea behind this programme (now in its tenth year) is that young musicians find a moment of stimulation and inspiration in the encounter with a competent and attentive audience. At the same time, their name begins to get around and become known. In addition to the students selected by the schools, the Fondazione William Walton e La Mortella invites the winner of the William Walton Scholarship from the Scuola di Fiesole and, depending on the period, winners of other prestigious music competitions to perform.
• The Festival for Youth Orchestras. This event offers numerous Italian and foreign youth orchestras the opportunity to perform in a place of great charm and fascination, such as the La Mortella Gardens where the great musician William Walton lived. The Gardens are thus a source of inspiration and intense artistic emotions for the musicians, to whom the event also offers an opportunity to come into contact with the Mediterranean world, the island's environment and history, and Campania's immense archaeological and cultural heritage. Finally, the Festival also plays a role in promoting the island of Ischia and its tourist offer, attracting a cultured, qualified, highly specialised audience, for the benefit of conscious and sustainable tourist development. The symphonic music season at the Greek Theatre, like the chamber music season, is also performed in collaboration with national and international music schools and institutions.

Musical Activities Giardini Mortella