The Pantellerian Garden of Donnafugata, dating to 3,000 B.C.E., is located in the contrada Khamma and is one of the few in good condition still standing on the island of Pantelleria. It is bounded by a roofless, circular structure, with a diameter of 11m and with a maximum height of 4m in places, a single narrow entrance and small secondary openings that allow flow of rainwater.
Inside, an extraordinary, unique, centuries-old “Portogallo” orange plant thrives and bears fruit thanks to an ingenious, ancient self-sufficient system that uses the condensation created by the difference in temperature between night and day and the porosity of the thick walls in pumice stone which lean inwards to capture the water in the air directly.
It was donated to FAI by the Donnafugata family in 2008.
FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano
Via Carlo Foldi 2 - 20135 Milano
Phone: +39 02 46 76 15 393
Email: m.pizzorni@fondoambiente.it
