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The Amalfi Coast or simply the Amalfi Coast as we say here is one of our favorite places. When we think of a place to relax, when we think of summer, the smell of lemons or good food we think of this coast kissed by the sun just an hour’s drive from home. Telling you about the coast is a little bit like getting intimate with you all, because it’s a little bit our refuge. Ravello is one of the pearls of this precious necklace that embellishes the Campania coast. City of music, so defined for its famous festival, for us is also the city of villas, historic villas, with lush gardens, whose scent of flowers and sea intoxicates visitors who flock from all over the world. We chose to visit one of the most famous villas of Ravello, Villa Cimbrone. Villa Cimbrone forces you to walk through Ravello, to scrutinize every corner, admire its ceramics and caress the thousand cats of the city.
Villa Cimbroneis not a villa as much in sight as the others, you have to pass in front of the church of San Bonaventura da Potenza, the small streets of panoramic restaurants and houses overlooking the sea. There is a large open sixteenth-century door that marks the entrance. Inside the sunlight floods the lush gardens. We pay our ticket and a bit of adventure we explore the villa. Some areas are not accessible because they are reserved to the charming hotel inside the villa.
Villa Cimbrone takes its name from the promontory on which it stands and was sought after and loved in every era. In 1904 it was purchased by a wealthy British nobleman, Lord Grimthope, who restructured it but above all took care to enhance the elements of classical and gothic art present in the villa. In addition, today you can admire a perfect mix created over the years, that is the one between the British botanical style and the Italian vegetation.
We walk along the pergola of the Viale dell’immense and it is impossible not to raise our eyes to admire the timid gligini that are about to bloom.
The gardens of Villa Cimbronein this period are splendid: there is no corner where there are no roses in pastel colors or more vivid, climbing and rare species of flowers. We get lost in admiring the room of the roses, a stretch of colors and perfume and a few steps further we find ourselves in the Room of the The, a rectangular garden, also full of beautiful roses, in which there is a small gazebo in Moorish style.
Here and the all over the garden there are beautiful statues in classical style but also temples and small benches on which are engraved sentences in English, as if they were declarations of love towards this place.
Then finally, we see the statue of Ceres and we feel that we are there, we are in front of one of the most beautiful views in the world: the terrace of infinity. It is certainly the best known point of this villa, it is no coincidence that there are so many people taking photos. 365 meters of terrace overlooking the sea, a view that today, with this breeze that dampens the heat, makes your heart tremble. A row of elegant eighteenth-century busts adorn this natural terrace from which you can see the sea and its clearest features, wild flowers, lemon groves and houses overhanging. This poetic terrace is certainly the most spectacular place of this villa. Gore Vidal called it one of the most beautiful views he had ever seen and surely it will not have bewitched only the American artist; enchanted by so much beauty were Wiston Curchill, E.M Forster and Greta Garbo who right here married with Leopold Stowkowski.
We continue to enjoy the view from the small bar just below the terrace, we need to quench our thirst on this sunny day, but then we resume this pleasant walk between sea, sky and earth. Not long after we find ourselves in front of another known building of the villa: the temple of Bacchus, supported by some iron scaffolding. From here you can enjoy a beautiful view of the hinterland of the coast not always so appreciated.
Just before leaving the villa we enter the small cloister: it is a small courtyard in Arabic style in which they are peò is always visible the coat of arms of Lord Grimthope.
Our visit ends after about 2 hours spent walking in a relaxed and carefree way in these wonderful gardens while we wonder why only now we have discovered the existence of it. We are here.
If you want to visit villa Cimbrone we give you some info:
- There is no parking. The car must be parked in one of the paid parking lots of the municipality and the cost is about 4 euros per hour.
- The villa is open from 9 am until sunset
- the cost of the standard ticket is 7 euro
- the villa has a toilet
We recommend a light clothing and shoes quite comfortable. Do not forget to bring with you something to drink, as the bar is not exactly cheap. You can also choose to stay in the beautiful hotel and if you have fallen in love then know that it is also a popular place for weddings.
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