The garden of Lunuganga, meaning Salt River,  is an exceptionally beautiful and interesting place to visit.  It was created over many years by Geoffrey Bawa (1919-2003), Sri Lanka’s foremost architect, the originator and exponent of Oriental Modernism, on what had been a rubber plantation on a lakeside peninsula, which he bought in 1949.

It is a garden of vistas and spaces, light and shade, views framed by trees, columns, doorways, windows.  Garden and house merge into each other and there is not one, but there are several structures and artefacts, some seemingly hidden, until alighted upon as if accidentally, but of course by design, and all harmonious, black, charcoal, white and a limited palette.  Nor is the garden highly coloured with its many shades of green, browns, touches of gold and views of water.

Although entirely original, it is reminiscent of the 16th century garden of Bomarzo in northern Lazio, created by Pirro Ligorio for Pier Francesco Orsini.  With its scattered structures, miniature houses, sculptures and enigmatic symbolism, the similarities seem too many to be accidental.  Since visiting I have been told that Bawa did indeed visit Italy and had Bomarzo in mind when creating his garden.