The villas and hanging gardens of Ravello
Garden and house in Villa Cimbrone gardens, Ravello, Italy
Betwixt sky and sea, the village of Ravello is a place of steep lanes, sumptuous villas and sublime gardens looking out across sweeping coastline and ocean.
Huddled against the hillside in the Gulf of Salerno, the narrow streets, stairways and passages of Ravello all grant stunning vistas of the Mediterranean Sea and cliffs tumbling down to the deep blue. Through the centuries, these entrancing panoramas have attracted artists of every ilk, from Virginia Woolf and Joan Miró to Oscar Niemeyer and Richard Wagner. In fact, Wagner settled here in 1800, taking up residence in the Villa Ruffolo, a breathtaking medieval property that is worth a visit for its leafy path, Moorish cloister and pretty terraces from where the views of the gulf below are epic. Next, make your way to the Villa Cimbrone, a Moorish Revival property dating from the early 20th century and since converted into a boutique hotel. In its sprawling grounds open to the public, a long, flower-bordered path leads to the main belvedere, an infinity terrace lined with classical busts towering over the sparkling sea that stretches all the way to the horizon... Spectacular!
Villa Rufolo
Piazza Duomo, 1
84010 Ravello SA
+39 089 857621
http://www.villarufolo.it/
Villa Cimbrone
Via Santa Chiara, 26
84010 Ravello SA
+39 089 857459