Villa San Giuliano Residency

In the rich lavic soils of Sicily, with a breath of sea and twinkling Catania, lies the glorious garden of San Giuliano. Lush with palms, succulents and well-armed cacti; jasmine, lavender and so many sages; rare trees from the sub-tropics the world over, and every type of citrus imaginable, littering the Arab garden— with its marble persian carpet-patterned pathways lined with irrigation channels—like bocce balls.

The rosy 15th century palazzo with its attached church dripping with bougainvilia, is the centerpiece of the property where Australian grass, dragon, and ancient olive trees mingle with a myriad of roses, papyrus and giant aloe, and an organic orange orchard of around 160 acres. A mind-blowing wildflower garden will grow anywhere the Sicilian earth is undisturbed, and the estate’s organic citrus orchard becomes a dazzling mosaic of oxalis, borage, poppies, scabiosa, mallow, asphodel, allium and calendula (and who knows what else!). Views of snow-capped and smoke-ringed Mt. Etna stop your heart at every turn. An endless allee’ of Washington palms seems to take you right there.

This spring, mud season in Vermont, I had the privilege of working alongside the lovely gardeners of this magnificent property, writing poems after work by the lichened statue of Bellini in the Arab garden, and being a guest of the marchesi di San Giuliano. David joined me as an artist in residence, discovering in pencil and paint the beauty of the gardens, the undulating countryside, and the crumbling majesty of ancient structures. Most remarkable to us both, was the warmth and generosity of the people we encountered.