Port of Napoli: Part 2 -
Ravello in the Rain
When we left Amalfi, we headed up to Ravello, the town Alex, our driver for the day, had told us was his favourite on the Amalfi Coast. We were looking forward to seeing it for ourselves, but by the time we arrived, it was pouring rain.
It was lunchtime, so we thought we'd have something to eat and hope the weather cleared up while we were eating. Unfortunately, by the time lunch was over, it was raining even harder!
Just off the town square where we were having lunch was an old building with a beautiful entranceway. We'd been looking at it throughout our meal, and since we weren't going to be doing much exploring in the rain, we decided to see if what it was.
As it turned out, we'd stumbled upon Villa Rufolo, one of Ravello's most famous historic buildings.
Discovering Villa Rufolo
Villa Rufolo dates back to the 13th century, when the wealthy Rufolo family built an impressive residence in the heart of Ravello. The family was influential in the region, and their home reflected their wealth, with architecture influenced by a mix of local, Arab and Byzantine styles.
Over the centuries, the villa changed hands and gradually fell into disrepair. It wasn't until 1851, when a Scottish gentleman named Francis Nevile Reid bought the property, that restoration began. He brought new life to the buildings and developed the gardens, which are now one of the main reasons people visit.
The villa also has a connection to the world of music. German composer Richard Wagner visited in 1880 and was reportedly inspired by the gardens, which reminded him of the setting he had imagined for his opera Parsifal. Today, Villa Rufolo is one of the venues associated with Ravello's celebrated music festival.
It's quite a history for a place we had only intended to visit because we needed somewhere to get out of the rain!
Even with the weather, we could see how beautiful Villa Rufolo was, both inside and out. The old architecture was lovely, but it was the gardens that were the show stealer. Set on terraces overlooking the Amalfi Coast, they were stunning, with views stretching towards the sea.
They would have been even more stunning if we could have seen more of the coastline through the rain and low clouds!
I would love to see the gardens on a sunny day. I can only imagine how beautiful they must be when the skies are clear and the sea is that brilliant blue you see in photographs of the Amalfi Coast.
Alex had told us Ravello was his favourite town on the coast. We didn't get to see enough of it to decide for ourselves, but we certainly left wishing we'd had more time there.
And just to give you an idea of how much rain we were dealing with, at one point my iPhone wouldn't charge because it detected liquid in the charging port. I had to wait for it to dry out before I could plug it in again!
Such a beautiful discovery for a rainy day. The view of the coast from the villa look amazing. I am sure the family would have enjoyed it at the time...did you get to taste the lemons / anything made with the famous Amalfi lemons? :)
ReplyDeleteI love towns with a mix of old and modern structures, and this is one of those places. It looks peaceful. And being near the water definitely fascinates me. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSometimes rainy days are a sign to slow down and enjoy the beauty around us. I love your photos, the first one especially with the beautiful flowers and the rain bands coming down over the mountains. I'm like Danwil, the older buildings are breathtaking and have so much history but the modern ones show the progress that has been made over the years.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you got poured onto AGAIN! So sorry. And then the phone incident! The only thing I can say is: you need to come back for a the blue sky experience!
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of the villa almost makes the rain a happy accident! And those pictures are indeed so lovely. And how neat to hear some of the history. Though I'm not glad you got caught in the rain, I'm glad for your villa experience.
ReplyDeleteIt takes my breath away at the amazing history that was built centuries ago. It blows my mind away wondering how they did it. So glad restoration began bringing new life to the buildings and the gardens. Not to mention they were probably being rained on while they were building.
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