Villa Rufolo
Gardens above the sea.
gian luca bucci — CC BY 3.0 · Miguel Hermoso Cuesta — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Miguel Hermoso Cuesta — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Miguel Hermoso Cuesta — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bruno Rijsman — CC BY-SA 2.0
Ravello is a small town perched above the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno, Campania, southern Italy, about 2 km northeast of Amalfi and 37 km southeast of Naples in a straight line. It sits 782 steps above the town of Atrani and has about 2,500 residents. The town was founded in the 5th century as a refuge from invasions, and by the 9th century it was an important town of the maritime Republic of Amalfi, trading dyed wool across the Mediterranean. In the 12th century it had some 25,000 people, and palaces of its merchant nobility, such as the Rufolo, still stand. Its scenic setting made it part of the UNESCO-listed Amalfi Coast in 1997. From the mountain's edge the town looks over the blue sea, the winding coast and the villages terraced on the slopes below. Villa Rufolo has flowering gardens on terraces above the sea with old stone towers among them, and Villa Cimbrone has a famous terrace looking out to the horizon. Visitors wander the main square and quiet lanes and visit the villa gardens on the slope. Open-air concerts are held at Villa Rufolo in summer; the town is calmer than the coastal towns and is reached by bus from Amalfi.
Gardens above the sea.
A terrace on the horizon.
Calm.
Ravello, Salerno, Campania, Italy
By bus from Amalfi.
Spring and early autumn.
