Hi friends, welcome back to my Italy series. After a peaceful hour exploring Villa Cimbrone, Jon and I made our way back to the center of Ravello. It’s a very tiny and quiet town with a main square, souvenir shops, and restaurants lining the streets. It seemed the ratio of pottery stores to residents was 1:1 and we picked out an ornament that safely made it home in one piece.
After meandering around town a bit, it was time for our last stop in Ravello, Villa Rufolo. This villa is located right in the town square and equally as popular as Villa Cimbrone. Tickets here are 7 euros a person and are purchased onsite. Inside the villa there were exhibitions, but we spent most of our time wandering through the beautiful gardens.
The most famous view in Ravello is of this umbrella pine and bell towers.
This gardens beauty inspired the second act of German composer Richard Wagner’s opera Parsifal. Ravello is now known as the “City of Music” and every summer there is an annual concert series on a stage built out from gardens.
While we were on the balcony we heard clapping and a guy had just proposed to his girlfriend. I’m sure Jon was relieved to be already married, that would be a hard proposal to top!
After our fill of Villa Rufallo, we found a cab to take us back down to Amalfi. Luckily, we were just in time to catch the next ferry back to Positano. I would’ve liked to explore Amalfi a bit, but we didn’t want to be late for our dinner reservations in Positano. Jon and I enjoyed spending the day in Ravello, but we personally thought it would have been too quiet to stay in. It is also a bit more challenging to get to other cities in the Amalfi because it doesn’t have a ferry port. Ravello was a great day trip to start our time in the Amalfi Coast, stay tuned for some beautiful, sunny days in Positano coming up next.
Posts in this series:
Florence
- Where to Stay & Eat
- Piazza Michelangelo & Ponte Vecchio
- Uffizi Gallery
- Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, Accademia
- Climbing the Duomo
- Duomo Museum, Bell Tower, & Baptistry
- Palazzo Vecchio & Tuscon Wine Tour
Rome
- Where to Stay & Eat
- Churches, Churches, & Churches Oh My!
- Borghese Gallery
- Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, & Pantheon
- St. Peter’s Basilica
- Victor Emmanuel Monument & Capitoline Museum
- Forum & Palatine Hill Tour
- Colosseum Tour
- Castel Sant’ Angelo
- Twilight Trastevere Rome Food Tour
- Vatican Museum – Prime Experience
- St. Peters Dome & Square
Positano
Gorgeous scenery and lovely pictures of the two of you
Thank you! It was such a beautiful place to wander.
There is just something about Italian gardens with a high sea view. Gorgeous in most weather. Looks like you had a bit of rain on this trip. Thanks for sharing Lyssy. Have a wonderful Friday. Allan
I agree, they are so charming. The first day we got to Positano it poured, the next day we went to Ravello and it was overcast, and the sun came out the last three days and it felt like we were in a brand new place. Hope you have a great Friday too!
Wow, just look at those picture postcard views! I love the gardens and amazing panoramas across the coastline – the juxtaposed position against the sea makes it a photographer’s paradise. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
It really is a photographer’s paradise! It felt like we were in a fairytale town 🙂
I love all the mountain photos, so beautiful!!!
It was just so stunning there! It was hard to put down my camera 🙂
The umbrella pines have a beautiful silhouette that evokes the South and the Mediterranean, and your photos recreate this atmosphere very well…
They are a very distinct and beautiful tree!
You did the Grand Tour with emphasis on grand. So many beautiful and historic sights Lyssy. The umbrella tree is so photogenic. It almost appears to have been sculpted like a bonsai tree.
My mom always it the broccoli tree but it does also look like a bonsai. They do a great job manicuring the gardens and villas.
Those gardens are amazing!
I was so happy we made it up there and got to see the gardens!
It’s no wonder whomever chose to build Villa Rufallo chose that clifftop site. The views to the town and sea below are stunning. And it seems every small Italian town has a central square in front of a prominent church. I always loved that aspect of the urban design, with the thought the entire town used to (or still do) gather in the square before worship.
They really got the cream of the crop location! The views are incredible even on a cloudy day. The Italian towns so have a much stronger sense of community with the town squares and churches.
We loved it here and looks like you did too, beautiful photos 😍
It was hard to stop taking pictures, it was so beautiful!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Umbrella pines are such unique and beautiful trees. Some lucky people live in this part of the world.
They are beautiful trees! I don’t think they’d survive the snow we get in NY. I wonder what it would be like living in paradise.
What an iconic pine and those views!! Ravello is now on my bucket list of places to visit in Italy, whenever I end up returning!
It’s the perfect town for a day trip, you’d love it! The views are just stunning.
Gorgeous photos Lyssy!
Thank you!
The gardens are gorgeous. Love the famous viewpoint with that umbrella pine. It would be neat to attend a summer concert there.
It would be the perfect venue for some beautiful classical music. I think it would be worth braving the summer crowds for.
Those views! Wow! Y’all look so happy. What a nice trip. 👍