Ravello is a municipality of 2,506 inhabitants in the province of Salerno. Dominating the Amalfi coast
from a height of 350 metres, it commands one of the most expansive views over the gulf of Salerno.
Ravello was founded in the 5th century as a refuge from the Barbarian invasions that destroyed the western Roman
Empire.
Its spectacular position on a rocky spur separating the valley of the Dragone torrent from that of the Reginna
torrent makes Ravello into an immense balcony overlooking the sea, studded with flower-filled terraces and
belvederes, such as that dedicated to the
Principessa del Piemonte.
Strolling through the intricate maze of streets, the visitor can admire its art treasures, such as the
Duomo (the cathedral of San Pantaleone, patron saint of the city,
where his blood is preserved), the adjacent bell tower
35 metres high, the church of the Santissima Annunziata,
the church of San Francesco, the church of
Santa Chiara, the church of San Martino
the church of Sant'Angelo, the
church of San Giovanni del Toro,
Palazzo Gonfalone, Palazzo D'Afflitto,
the Monastery of San Trifone and Piazza
Fontana Moresca.
The image of Ravello is linked to its villas, pictures of which have reached all corners of the globe,
such as Villa Cimbrone, with its breathtaking view from the
Terrazza dell'Infinito. In Piazza
Vescovado, in
the heart of the town, along with the Cathedral and the ruins of the castle, there is also
Villa Ruffolo,
where every year from the end of June to the end of October the famous Ravello Festival is held . This is a
festival of classical music, as well as visual arts and the cinema, devoted to Richard Wagner in the very place
in which he drew inspiration for his last masterpiece Parsifal. Numerous other artists, writers and musicians
have been enchanted by the magic of Ravello, which they immortalised in their works: Giovanni Boccaccio,
William Turner, John Ruskin, Joan Miró, Vedova and Escher; André Gide, David Herbert Lawrence and Graham Greene.
Ravello also houses the permanent headquarters of the European University
Centre for the Cultural Heritage,
which organises prestigious conferences every year.
Among the most important folklore events, the Feast of the patron saint,
San Pantaleone, on 27 July and the
Feast of the Madonna Addolorata di Torello on the second Sunday of September.
