La Mortella (The Myrtle), is the former home of English composer Sir William Walton and his Argentinian wife, Lady Susana Walton. Shortly after World War Two, the couple moved to Ischia and eventually made their home on what is now the site of The Sir William Walton Foundation and La Mortella Gardens.
Sir William and Lady Susana attracted a star-studded list of celebrities to their home such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Maria Callas to name but a few, and their fascinating former home and gardens can now be enjoyed by all.
In 1956, after having spent the previous 6 years divided between 6 month stints in London and Ischia, the couple decided to buy their new property at La Mortella. Having understood the potential of the site, they decided to call in landscape expert, Russell Page, who set about transforming the stone quarry on a volcanic hill, into a tropical garden paradise with an extraordinary and fascinating array of rare and exotic plantlife.
La Mortella Gardens is one of the jewels of Ischia and is not to be missed by any visitor to the island. The lush tropical paradise is awash with fascinating plants, flowers, wildlife and colorful birds as well as the added interest of visiting the former home of this convivial and charismatic couple who lived their glamorous lives devoted to their individual arts of music and gardening.Sir William Walton was one of the most important classical composers of his time
