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Ravello |
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Chamber Musik on the Amalfi Coast - Ravello Built in the thirteenth century as a Convent of the Order of St. Augustine, its paved balconies and weathered stone walls crystallize an ambience which is ageless. It is easy to conjure images of medieval life in this town as you stroll through its intriguing alleys, stairways and roofed passages to find yourself at Villa Rufolo.
"Ah moon of my delight that knows no wane The moon of heaven is rising once again How oft hereafter rising shall she look Through this same garden after us in vain".
The
Amalfi
Coast
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From
Amalfi a winding road ascends seven kilometres up the "Dragon's Valley" to
the hill town of Ravello. Located on the small
escarpment of Monte Lattari, it is set amidst vast semi-tropical gardens and
overlooks, from 350 metres, the coast south towards the Gulf of Salerno, and
the town of Amalfi directly below. It is no wonder then, that this town,
with its head in the clouds and its clear, sunny climate, has appealed for
centuries to writers, artists, musicians, travellers... and dreamers!
Boccaccio, D. H. Lawrence and Wagner are among the "greats" who succumbed to
the spell of Ravello. Wagner partly composed his opera "Parsifal" here, and
today author Gore Vidal lives and derives inspiration from this charming
town.
Beautiful
gardens with views across the mountains and the Coast below, surround this
home of the powerful medieval family of that name. It is a magnificent
building; its Moorish cloisters beckoning from an avenue shaded by ancient
trees. The extensive gardens of exotic plants and brilliantly coloured
flowers frame vistas of the water far below. Here, each Spring a Wagnerian
festival is held at sunset; there, suspended high above the cerulean sea and
the coastline, the composer is commemorated, and so too is the inspiration
he derived from his love of Ravello.
The
charms of Ravello also captivated an Englishman, Lord Grimthorpe, who built
the Villa Cimbrone early this century with the help of his valet, Nicola
Mansi, a native of Ravello. Together they transformed an ancient villa,
enriching it with antiques, paintings and relics collected from all over
Italy. Today the gardens of Cibrone are a mediterranean sanctuary. Tall
cypresses reach heavenward, the fragrance of massed roses fills the air;
pathways lead us to statues of Roman gods. Along the "Avenue of Immensity"
huge pink oleanders line the way to the Belvedere posed on the cliff's edge.
From this little building you can pause to take in the unforgettable views
from here across the "Infinite Terrace" to the sea and sky beyond, and
recall the words of Omar Khayam which are carved above a stone seat in the
rose garden at Villa Cimbrone: