New Ideas and Old Loves: Sissinghurst and Italy
Explore how Vita Sackville-West was swept up in the romance of 20th century Italy through the artistry and loves in her life.
26 September 2026 - 6 June 2027 | 11am - 5pm*
Explore the significant role Italy played in Vita Sackville-West and husband Harold Nicolson's lives in this new exhibition.
Throughout history, Italy has been heralded as the 'land of love', so it is no surprise that the country left its mark on the creators of Sissinghurst's world-renowned garden.
Vita was swept up in the romance and history of Italy from an early age, often influencing her artistic, literary and romantic tastes throughout her life. But under this romantic lens, political unease brewed and presented Harold with challenges for his work as a diplomat and politician.
'New Ideas and Old Loves' features never-before-seen objects, love letters and photographs.
Visitors can also listen to recordings of selected works, including extracts from 'The Dancing Elf' and 'Portrait of a Marriage' read by Juliet Nicolson (Vita and Harold's eldest granddaughter).
Free with standard admission. Booking is not required.
The exhibition is located upstairs in the Oast Exhibition Space with no step-free access. A guide of the exhibition will be available inside Visitor Reception (there is step-free access into this building).
*The exhibition will close at 3:30pm from 26 October in line with our winter hours.
Exhibition highlights
'Castle Fund' notebook, 1913
When Vita and Harold honeymooned in Italy, they made this notebook, detailing their attempts to budget for an Italian Castle. Their initials ("H.N" and "V.N" for Harold Nicolson and Vita Nicolson) can be faintly seen on the bottom corners of the front cover
Italian influences at Sissinghurst
Harold and Vita were often inspired by their travels abroad and brought back plants or trinkets that they used to create their home and garden here. From Persian roses to Italian garden structure, world influences can be seen throughout Sissinghurst Castle.
It seems likely that the many garden rooms and walks here are drawn in part from the winding journey a visitor might take through the slopes surrounding a Florentine villa.
Vita filled Harold’s garden structure with an approach she called ‘regional gardening’ – planting a variety of species which occur naturally in the same place, in areas of the garden landscaped to mimic that region’s natural geography. This way, Vita could create her own ‘scrap of mediterranean hillside’ to remind her of Italy when she wasn’t there.
I shall think of [winter daffodil] always as I saw it growing in its golden sprinkle on that Florentine terrace, beneath the cypresses framing the cupola of the Duomo and the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, romantic, floodlit; the lily tower of Florence.’
Acknowledgements
Photograph of the 'Doge's Ring' courtesy of Sotheby's Inc, photograph of Patrick Shaw-Stewart reproduced by kind permission of the Master and Fellows of Balliol College, and photograph of Vita Sackville-West, Harold Nicolson, Ben Nicolson and Luisa Vertova at Palazzo Vecchio by kind permission of Vanessa Nicolson.
Paint courtesy of Little Greene.
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