2026 marks the centenary of the birth of Lady Susana Walton, a charismatic figure and creative soul of the Giardini La Mortella in Forio d'Ischia, one of the most evocative places in the Mediterranean. To celebrate this significant anniversary, the Fondazione Walton is promoting a comprehensive program of initiatives throughout the year, featuring events, concerts, and cultural events in Italy and England, dedicated to the memory and legacy of a woman who knew how to combine nature and music in an extraordinary way.
This is the context for the Progetto Kepos - Incontri di Archeologia e Paesaggio, a series of historical and landscape lectures curated by Dr. Mariangela Catuogno, which for the 2026 edition will be entirely dedicated to the theme of gardens, in homage to Lady Walton's centenary.
The program offers a thematic journey exploring the evolution of gardens throughout history, highlighting the relationship between patronage and design, with particular attention to Italian and foreign influences. Alongside this underlying theme, archaeological themes remain central, in keeping with the project's educational mission.
The series opens on April 16 with a meeting dedicated to the relationship between patronage and architects in the creation of the English Garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The dialogue between artist and patronage will also return in the final event in October, which focuses on Raphael and his work at Villa Farnesina in Rome.
The historical evolution of gardens will be explored through three meetings that offer a broad overview: from the earliest evidence in the Pharaonic era, to the 18th-century Enlightenment, up to more recent examples in Puglia.
There will also be a space dedicated to music, a subject dear to Lady Walton, who passionately supported the development of young talent in memory of her husband, William Walton. The program will include a focus on music in Greek theater.
The series will conclude with archaeological insights into the relationships between the communities of the island of Ischia and those of Cumae, both in the pre-Hellenic and colonial eras, and the connections between the Levantine and Pithekoussai worlds, offering a glimpse into the cultural and commercial dynamics of antiquity.
The Kepos 2026 Project is thus part of the broader calendar of celebrations of the Walton Foundation, helping to pay homage to Lady Susana Walton through an interdisciplinary journey that intertwines landscape, archaeology, and music: fields that, in the name of La Mortella, continue to dialogue with each other today.
Discover the complete program of meetings here.
This is the context for the Progetto Kepos - Incontri di Archeologia e Paesaggio, a series of historical and landscape lectures curated by Dr. Mariangela Catuogno, which for the 2026 edition will be entirely dedicated to the theme of gardens, in homage to Lady Walton's centenary.
The program offers a thematic journey exploring the evolution of gardens throughout history, highlighting the relationship between patronage and design, with particular attention to Italian and foreign influences. Alongside this underlying theme, archaeological themes remain central, in keeping with the project's educational mission.
The series opens on April 16 with a meeting dedicated to the relationship between patronage and architects in the creation of the English Garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The dialogue between artist and patronage will also return in the final event in October, which focuses on Raphael and his work at Villa Farnesina in Rome.
The historical evolution of gardens will be explored through three meetings that offer a broad overview: from the earliest evidence in the Pharaonic era, to the 18th-century Enlightenment, up to more recent examples in Puglia.
There will also be a space dedicated to music, a subject dear to Lady Walton, who passionately supported the development of young talent in memory of her husband, William Walton. The program will include a focus on music in Greek theater.
The series will conclude with archaeological insights into the relationships between the communities of the island of Ischia and those of Cumae, both in the pre-Hellenic and colonial eras, and the connections between the Levantine and Pithekoussai worlds, offering a glimpse into the cultural and commercial dynamics of antiquity.
The Kepos 2026 Project is thus part of the broader calendar of celebrations of the Walton Foundation, helping to pay homage to Lady Susana Walton through an interdisciplinary journey that intertwines landscape, archaeology, and music: fields that, in the name of La Mortella, continue to dialogue with each other today.
Discover the complete program of meetings here.