Ravello ( Campanian: ) is a town and '' comune'' situated above the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno, Campania,

Southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...

, with approximately 2,500 inhabitants. Its scenic location makes it a popular tourist destination, and earned it a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

History

Ravello was founded in the 5th century as a shelter place against the

barbarian invasions The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roman ...

which marked the end of the Western Roman Empire. In the 9th century Ravello was an important town of the maritime

Republic of Amalfi The Duchy of Amalfi () or the Republic of Amalfi was a ''de facto'' independent state centered on the Southern Italian city of Amalfi during the 10th and 11th centuries. The city and its territory were originally part of the larger '' ducatus Ne ...

. It was a producer of wool from its surrounding country that was dyed in the town and an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200. In 1086, at the request of the Italo-Norman count Roger Borsa, who wished to create a counterweight to the powerful

Duchy of Amalfi The Duchy of Amalfi () or the Republic of Amalfi was a ''de facto'' independent state centered on the Southern Italian city of Amalfi during the 10th and 11th centuries. The city and its territory were originally part of the larger ''ducatus Nea ...

, Pope Victor III made Ravello the seat of a diocese immediately subject to the Holy See, with territory split off from that of the archdiocese of Amalfi. Early on, the bishops of Ravello all came from patrician families of the city, showing the church's municipalized character. In the 12th century, Ravello had some 25,000 inhabitants, and it retains a number of palazzi of the mercantile nobility, the Rufolo, d'Aflitto, Confalone, and Della Marra. In 1137, after a first failed attack two years before, the Duchy was destroyed by the Republic of Pisa. After this, a demographic and economic decline set in, and much of its population moved to Naples and its surroundings in the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

. In 1944 during WW2, the king of Italy lived in Ravello -at the "Palazzo Priscopio"- while waiting to go back to Rome Ravello, Villa Rufolo - panoramio

Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Ravello, 1965) - BEIC 6328862

Main sights

*The ' (Cathedral of Ravello): the central nave contains the "Pulpit of the Gospels", on the right of the central nave, created in 1272 by Nicolò di Bartolomeo from

Foggia Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...

. * '' Villa Rufolo'' (1270), built by Nicola Rufolo, one of the richest Patricians of Ravello, on a ledge and it has become a famous attraction for thousands of visitors. The villa was mentioned by

Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...

in his '' Decameron'' and it is the place where

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

in 1880 was inspired for the stage design of his opera Parsifal. *'' Villa Cimbrone'', known for its "Terrace of the Infinite". *The church of '' San Giovanni del Toro'' (named for John the Apostle and for "Il Toro", the former name of the old aristocratic quarter in which it was built) dating to before the year 1000. The church contains the Bove pulpit, dateable to 1200–1230, incorporated as mosaic fragments Raqqa bacini. *The small church of ''Santa Maria a Gradillo'' (11th century). It has a basilica plan, with an apse and two aisles. *Sanctuary of Sts. Cosmas and Damian (14th century) *''

La Rondinaia La Rondinaia (built 1930) is a villa in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. History Initially, the property was a part of the Villa Cimbrone, owned by Ernest Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe. His daughter Lucy (1884–1979) had La Rondina ...

'' (The Swallow's Nest), built in the 1930s on a cliff face, the villa was the Italian residence of Gore Vidal until 2004.

Culture

The town has served historically as a destination for artists, musicians, and writers, including

, Edvard Grieg, M. C. Escher, Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, Gore Vidal, André Gide,

Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , , ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor and ceramicist born in Barcelona. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona i ...

, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Graham Greene,

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

and Sara Teasdale (who mentioned it in her prefatory dedication in ''Love Songs''). Every year in the summer months, the " Ravello Festival" takes place. It began in 1953 in honour of

. The 1953 film '' Beat the Devil'', directed by

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

and starring

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

, Jennifer Jones, and Gina Lollobrigida in her English language debut, was shot in Ravello. An extended scene of Bogart and Jones romancing was filmed on the ''Terrazza dell'lnfinito'' at the '' Villa Cimbrone''.

Transportation

Ravello can be reached from the 163 Amalfitana State Road by private car. The town centre is also served by the 511006 bus.

References

External links