历史由来
La Mortella 花园位于意大利那不勒斯湾伊斯基亚岛（Ischia）的福里奥（Forio），由阿根廷裔的苏珊娜·沃尔顿夫人（Susana Walton）与英国作曲家威廉·沃尔顿爵士（Sir William Walton）于 1958 年开始建造。园地名中的 “Mortella” 来自当地一种野生的桃金娘（Myrtus communis），这种灌木长在山坡的岩石之间。1949 年两人结婚后搬到伊斯基亚，先租房住，后来买下了扎罗（Zaro）岬角的一片火山岩谷地。1983 年威廉·沃尔顿爵士去世，苏珊娜夫人独自继续维护花园 8 年，直到 1991 年正式向公众开放；2004 年被美国 Briggs & Stratton 公司评为”全意大利最美公园”一等奖，2012 年又获 Great Italian Gardens 颁发的最佳维护奖。
园区设计
1956 年苏珊娜夫人委托英国景观设计师罗素·佩吉（Russell Page）做总体规划，佩吉将火山岩陡坡设计成上下两部分：下园叫”谷园”（The Valley），呈 L 形，长轴是细长溪流，四座不同时期建的喷泉点缀其中，末端正对 1962 年建成的沃尔顿别墅；上园（The Hill）依山势梯级抬升，用挡土墙划分出一系列主题园，靠一条步道、坡道与台阶连到山顶，可以俯瞰整个福里奥湾。全园面积约 2 公顷，地中海气候加上伊尔皮尼亚火山带来的肥沃土壤，使这里能种寻常意大利园子种不活的异国植物。
植物收藏
La Mortella 目前以热带、亚热带和地中海植物为主，三个温室外加散落在水道边的种植池组成了全园主体。维多利亚温室（Victoria House）养着王莲和各类水生植物，兰花温室（Orchid House）里有 2005 年由意大利育种家 Pozzi 用 Miltassia 杂交培育的品种 “Lady Susana Walton”；太阳神殿（Temple of the Sun）培育多肉和旱生植物。水面贯穿全园，睡莲、纸莎草、莲花、马蹄莲点缀池中；高处则有岩石花园（William’s Rock，沃尔顿爵士骨灰安放处）、睡莲池（Nymphaeum）、泰国亭、芦荟园、鳄鱼池（Crocodile Pool）和希腊剧场（Greek Theatre）。管委会持续在园中扩种，截至目前记录在册的物种超过 1000 种。
音乐活动
La Mortella 的另一面是音乐基金会的工作。1981 年威廉·沃尔顿信托（英国）与 Fondazione William Walton（意大利）先后成立，分别负责推广作曲家的作品、运营文化活动并管理花园。1991 年花园开放后，基金会每年办三季音乐会：春季和秋季的”Incontri Musicali”室内乐系列在馆内 Sala Recite 厅演出，周六周日都有；夏季的青年乐团节（Festival of Youth Orchestras）在上园希腊剧场上演交响乐，每周四晚开演，曲目由各国青年乐团轮换担任。威廉·沃尔顿的代表作品——三首协奏曲、两部交响曲、《伯沙撒王的盛宴》（Belshazzar’s Feast）、为莎士比亚电影《亨利五世》《哈姆雷特》《理查三世》写的电影配乐，以及两首为英王加冕写的进行曲——在园区纪念品和介绍材料中常被提到。
参观信息
花园每年 4 月 2 日至 11 月 1 日对外开放，开放日为周二、周四、周六、周日，9:00-19:00（最后入场 18:00 必须离开）；周一、周三、周五闭园，少数公众假期临时加开。建议预留 2 小时以上游览，园内无导览服务，可在售票处领取建议路线地图和中文解说板。具体票价与加开日期请查询本站右侧的官方链接。
Origins
La Mortella Gardens are located on the promontory of Zaro in the municipality of Forio, on the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples. They were started in 1958 by Lady Susana Walton, born Susana Valeria Rosa Maria Gil Passo in Argentina, who in 1947 met the English composer Sir William Walton (1902-1983) and married him two months later. The Waltons came to Ischia in 1949; in 1956 they asked the English landscape architect Russell Page (1906-1985) to design the basic plan of the valley garden. The name “La Mortella” comes from the myrtle bushes (Myrtus communis) growing among the volcanic rocks on the slope. Lady Walton developed the property for more than 50 years and opened it to the public in 1991, after which the garden was named first prize in the “most beautiful park in Italy” contest run by the American firm Briggs & Stratton in 2004 and received the Best Maintenance prize from Great Italian Gardens in 2012.
Garden Design
La Mortella is divided into two parts linked by paths, ramps and steps climbing retaining walls. The lower part, the Valley Garden, was designed by Russell Page starting in 1956 in the shape of an L, the long axis formed by a thin rivulet of water and the short axis ending in front of Villa Walton, built by the couple in 1962. Four fountains were designed at different stages of the garden’s development along this visual axis. The upper part, the Hill Garden, sits on terraced volcanic terrain and is reached by a dry-stone staircase. From the top of the hill visitors look out over the Bay of Forio. The total area is about 2 hectares.
Plant Collection
The garden’s plant collection can rightly be called a botanic garden: fountains, ponds and streams scattered through the grounds allow the cultivation of papyrus, lotuses and tropical water lilies. Three tropical greenhouses keep the most tender species: the Victoria House for giant water lilies, the Orchid House for tropical orchids (including the hybrid Miltassia ‘Lady Susana Walton’ bred by the Italian orchid grower Pozzi in 2005 in honour of the founder), and the Temple of the Sun for succulents and warm-climate species. The Hill Garden adds the Garden of Aloes, William’s Rock (where the composer’s ashes are kept), the Nymphaeum, the Crocodile Pool, the Thai Pavilion, the Greek Theatre and the Glorieta.
Music Activities
Music has been part of La Mortella from the start. Lady Walton set up two foundations in 1981: the William Walton Trust in England and the Fondazione William Walton in Italy, to promote her husband’s music, support young musicians and preserve the garden. In 2003 she transferred the entire property to the Italian foundation, which now runs the gardens and the cultural programming under the name Fondazione William Walton La Mortella. Three concert seasons take place each year: in spring and autumn, the Incontri Musicali chamber recital series in the Sala Recite runs Saturdays and Sundays; in summer, the Festival of Youth Orchestras brings international youth orchestras to the Greek Theatre on Thursday evenings. Walton’s most performed works in Ischia include Façade (1922), the three concertos for viola, violin and cello, the two symphonies, Belshazzar’s Feast and the film scores for Henry V, Hamlet and Richard III.
Visitor Information
The garden is open to the public from 2 April to 1 November each year, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 to 19:00 (last admission 18:00); Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are normally closed, with occasional openings on public holidays. Visits are self-guided; allow at least two hours. Entry fees, opening calendar and ticket arrangements are published on the official site.
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