Ravello (Campanian: Raviello, Reviello) is a municipality located above the Amalfi Coast, exactly 782 steps above the town of Atrani, in the province of Salerno, Campania. It has about 2,500 people living there. Its beautiful location makes it a favorite place for tourists, and it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.

History

Ravello was founded in the 5th century as a safe place to protect people from barbarian invasions that ended the Western Roman Empire.

In the 9th century, Ravello was an important town in the maritime Republic of Amalfi.

It produced wool from the surrounding countryside, which was dyed in the town. Ravello was a major trading center in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200.

In 1086, at the request of Italo-Norman count Roger Borsa, who wanted to create a balance against the powerful Duchy of Amalfi, Pope Victor III made Ravello the seat of a diocese directly under the Holy See. The diocese’s territory was taken from the archdiocese of Amalfi. Early bishops of Ravello came from patrician families in the city, showing the church’s close ties to local leadership.

In the 12th century, Ravello had about 25,000 people. The town still has many palazzi built by wealthy merchant families, including the Rufolo, d'Aflitto, Confalone, and Della Marra.

In 1137, after a failed attack two years earlier, the Duchy of Amalfi was destroyed by the Republic of Pisa. After this, the town’s population and economy declined, and many people moved to Naples and nearby areas in the Kingdom of Naples.

In 1944 during World War II, the king of Italy lived in Ravello at the "Palazzo Priscopio" while waiting to return to Rome.

Main sights

• The Duomo di Ravello (Cathedral of Ravello): the central nave includes the "Pulpit of the Gospels," located on the right side of the central nave. This pulpit was created in 1272 by Nicolò di Bartolomeo from Foggia.
• Villa Rufolo (1270) was built by Nicola Rufolo, a wealthy member of Ravello's elite. It is located on a ledge and is now a well-known attraction for many visitors. The villa is mentioned in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, and it is where Richard Wagner found inspiration for the stage design of his opera Parsifal in 1880.
• Villa Cimbrone is famous for its "Terrace of the Infinite."
• The church of San Giovanni del Toro (named after John the Apostle and "Il Toro," the former name of the aristocratic neighborhood where it was built) dates to before the year 1000. The church contains the Bove pulpit, which is believed to have been made between 1200 and 1230, and includes mosaic fragments from Raqqa bacini.
• The small church of Santa Maria a Gradillo (11th century) has a basilica plan, with an apse and two aisles.
• Sanctuary of Sts. Cosmas and Damian (14th century).
• La Rondinaia (The Swallow's Nest) was built in the 1930s on a cliff face. It was the Italian home of Gore Vidal until 2004.

Culture

The town has been a place where many famous artists, musicians, and writers have visited. Some of these people include Giovanni Boccaccio, Richard Wagner, Edvard Grieg, M. C. Escher, Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, Gore Vidal, André Gide, Joan Miró, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Graham Greene, Jacqueline Kennedy, Leonard Bernstein, and Sara Teasdale, who wrote a dedication at the beginning of her book Love Songs.

Every summer, the "Ravello Festival" happens. This event started in 1953 to honor Richard Wagner.

In 1953, the film Beat the Devil was made in Ravello. The movie was directed by John Huston and starred Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, and Gina Lollobrigida, who appeared in her first film in English. A long scene showing Bogart and Jones together was filmed on the Terrazza dell'Infinito at Villa Cimbrone.

Transportation

Ravello can be accessed via the 163 Amalfitana State Road by car. The town center is also accessible by bus route 511006.