Green Terraces with a Sea View | Chapter II

Heading south, between the islands of the Gulf, Puglia and the myths of Sardinia and Sicily

Our journey to discover the Great Italian Gardens continues at the same fluid pace, leaving Central Italy behind to delve into the warm and historically rich lands of Southern Italy and its islands. Here, the volcanic rock, fertile soil, coastal plains, and wild coastlines are home to botanical treasures of inestimable historical and naturalistic value, gifting us with natural terraces suspended over breathtaking seascapes. It is an itinerary of marvelous contrasts, which will take us to the most glamorous and legendary islands in the Gulf of Naples, before traversing the poetry of Puglia's olive trees and finally arriving among the ancestral scents of Sardinia and the timeless myths of Sicily.

Ischia and Capri: the mythical islands in the Gulf of Naples

Arriving in Campania, the splendid Island of Ischia immediately welcomes us with two botanical gems with profoundly different characters, reflecting two distinct souls of the same land. The first stop takes us to Forio d'Ischia, the largest municipality on the island. It is here, in a village that still preserves its intact tradition of historic shops and small restaurants where Neapolitan cuisine is served, that we encounter the Giardini La Mortella.

This wonderful botanical treasure trove, born from the love of Lady Walton, welcomes you along its paths with a romantic and sweetly melancholic atmosphere, culminating in the most spectacular point of the route: the pyramidal rock of Sir Walton. This intimate place, which preserves his ashes, offers a breathtaking view of the waters lapping the island and, at the same time, an extraordinary panorama of the entire green expanse below.

While Mortella exudes romance and reminiscence, a completely different spirit envelops the Negombo Hydrothermal Park, located in Lacco Ameno, the smallest of the island's municipalities. Originally conceived as a garden of delights for the Fulceri Camerini family, this marine-thermal park owes much of its current appearance to the expert touch of landscape designer Ermanno Casasco. Here, the experience becomes dynamic and stimulating: native flora blends seamlessly with botanical collections from far-flung corners of the world, such as Australia, Japan, South Africa, and Brazil. Negombo, however, is also a grandiose open-air museum, where nature dialogues with imposing contemporary art sculptures. Walking among the thermal pools, you will come across iconic works such as “Arc-en-ciel” and “Riva dei mari” 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, “Incontri'' by Simona Uberto, and “Sprigionamenti'' by Gianfranco Pardi.
Continuing south, right in front of Ischia, we disembark on the famous Island of Capri. Here, in Anacapri, we are literally won over by the magnetic charm of Villa San Michele. The residence rose to world fame in 1929 thanks to the incredible success of the book “La Storia di San Michele,” written by its owner, the cultured doctor of Swedish court Axel Munthe. Since then, the gates of this extraordinary home have opened to the public, never to be closed again.
What will remain etched in your heart, once you cross the threshold, are the splendid views that suddenly open from the terraces directly onto the waters of the gulf. The garden's bright colors stand out against the dense greenery of the surrounding vegetation, consisting of cypress trees, thujas, ivy, boxwood, and moss. Everywhere you look, nature embraces history: antique vases, amphorae, and precious works of art dot every corner of the path.

A detour to the mainland and the peaks of Ravello

Returning for a moment to the coast, right on the border between Naples and Portici, we encounter a unique place where industrial history marries the beauty of the landscape: the National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa. It stands exactly on the first railway line in Italy, inaugurated way back in 1839. The 19th-century pavilions we admire today housed the ancient Royal Mechanical Factory founded by Ferdinand II of Bourbon in 1840, designed to free the Kingdom from foreign technology. Today, Pietrarsa welcomes visitors to a 36,000-square-meter area filled with treasures, such as the reproduction of the Bayard train and the carriage of the Royal Train.

The site's true magic, however, lies in its landscape conversion: the outdoor spaces have been enhanced with the planting of the fragrant Garden of the Mediterranean and enriched with a spectacular waterfront terrace, whose glass parapet offers an unfiltered view encompassing Vesuvius and the splendid islands of the gulf.

Returning our route south, we climb the rocky ridges of the Amalfi Coast to reach Ravello, a village suspended between sky and sea that houses world-famous monumental complexes.
Our journey takes us first to Villa Cimbrone, a residence with roots dating back to the 11th century, when it was owned by the Acconciajoco family. It then passed for over five centuries to the noble Fusco family, who transformed it from a simple farmstead into a place of delight, creating the famous Terrazzo Belvedere. After a period of abandonment, the property was reborn in 1904 thanks to Lord Grimthorpe, who renovated the building, introducing Gothic and eclectic elements. The terraced gardens became the cultural hub of the famous Bloomsbury Group, also featuring the intervention of Vita Sackville West. Today, strolling here is like immersing yourself in Anglo-Saxon romantic culture, where prized trees mingle with wisteria pergolas, centuries-old strawberry tree groves, hydrangea borders, and a rose garden with over 60 varieties of ancient roses.

A short distance away stands the village's iconic monument: Villa Rufolo. Built in the Middle Ages by the powerful family of the same name, the palace blends Arab and Byzantine architecture, testifying to the intense cultural exchanges of the Amalfi Republic. It even captivated Giovanni Boccaccio, who described it in the Decameron. In the mid-19th century, Scottish philanthropist Francis Nevile Reid purchased the now declining property, restoring the buildings and transforming the gardens into a true landscape masterpiece. It was precisely among these blooms that, on May 26, 1880, Richard Wagner saw the garden of his Parsifal materialize, exclaiming in ecstasy: ''The magical garden of Klingsor is found.'' Today, the evocative Garden of the Soul, rich in colors and exotic essences overlooking the sea, hosts the famous Ravello Festival every summer, continuing to enchant visitors from all over the world.

From Puglia to Sardinia: Gardens that Connect with the Sea

We leave the vertigo of the Campania coast behind to cross the peninsula and treat ourselves to an extraordinary stop in Puglia, where the landscape changes yet retains the same vocation for blending nature, architecture, and the sea horizon.
In Ostuni, between the blinding white of the famous ''White City'' and the immensity of the Plain of Monumental Olive Trees, Vista Ostuni interprets a new concept of hospitality, deeply rooted in the local area. Born from the refined redevelopment of the former Manifattura Tabacchi, the five-star luxury hotel engages with the landscape through a project in which garden and architecture become one.
The heart of the property is the three-hectare park designed by landscape architect Erik Dhont, home to over 170 botanical species in a measured balance between tradition and modernity. From the entrance, centuries-old olive trees, citrus trees, and a dramatic fountain introduce a suspended atmosphere, while ancient mulberry trees tell the story of the place. In the relaxation areas, traditional Apulian essences-thyme, mint, and helichrysum-mingle with the scents of climbing jasmine and fruit trees. The landscape is defined by the strength of the Mediterranean scrub, with holm oaks, mastic trees, and myrtle, punctuated by traditional dry-stone walls made of local stone that support capers, euphorbias, and other species adapted to arid climates. The result is a garden that naturally guides the gaze from the countryside to the sea, transforming the landscape into a wellness experience.

From the landscape sculpted by olive trees, the journey continues by sea to Sardinia, where the vegetation takes on more exotic hues without losing its connection to the Mediterranean identity. Overlooking the crystalline waters of the Bay of Nora, the Sant'Efis Hotel is a boutique hotel that has made its garden the fulcrum of its rebirth.
The landscape design, by engineer Maurizio Usai, unfolds like a sensory journey of colors and scents, designed to accompany guests all the way to the sea. To enhance the naturally clayey soil, a sophisticated deep irrigation system fed by very low-salinity wells was installed, creating ideal conditions for lush vegetation.
The botanical design revives the 19th-century tradition of subtropical species acclimated to the Pula area: jacarandas, ficus, palms, and strelitzias coexist with a precious collection of hibiscus, including rare varieties with yellow flowers that stand out against the intense blue of the sea.
Inspired by the figure of Saint Efisio, the garden reflects the hotel's philosophy: offering an authentic and discreet welcome, where the landscape becomes the protagonist and accompanies every moment of the stay, in a continuous dialogue between nature, memory, and the sea.

Grandi Giardini Italiani Srl

Grandi Giardini Italiani Srl