In Ravello, a small town in the heart of the Amalfi Coast, sits Villa Cimbrone, a historic Villa of incomparable beauty, comprising 6 hectares of gardens, built on a cliff promontory overlooking the sea.
Villa Cimbrone is set to be one of the most important buildings of Anglo-Saxon Romantic culture ever built in the Amalfi Coast area, and its construction dates back to around the 11th century; this, in fact, is known as Ravello’s golden age, a popular destination for tormented soul travelers who visited the magnificent town to seek relief.
This majestic Villa owes its name to Cimbronium, a rocky ridge on which it is located; initially owned by the prosperous Acconciajoco family, it was later acquired by the Fusco family, a noble Ravello family with important family ties to the Pitti family of Florence and the D’Angiò family of Naples. It was thanks to the Fusco family that the first interventions were made on Villa Cimbrone and its garden, and this is evident from the typical Neapolitan classical-Renaissance style of the Villa itself.
In the early 1900s this magnificent mansion was redesigned with the entrance and gardens leading to the Terrazza dell’Infinito, and decorative elements were added to the beautiful gardens such as marble and bronze statues, temples, statues and pavilions, evidence of the classical imprint attributed to this wonderful building.
The Vuilleumier family, owners of the Villa, has restored this historic mansion to its ancient glory, undertaking an effort to restore, conserve and protect not only one of the most important historic buildings on the Coast, but also its important gardens, bringing them back to their original magnificence, thanks in part to the help of botanist Vita Sackville West; the gardens of Villa Cimbrone are among the most important examples that Anglo-Saxon botanical and landscape culture has generated in southern Europe.
The Gardens of Villa Cimbrone – credits ravello.com
Inside the Villa Cimbrone complex is the Cloister, the Arab-style courtyard, which was partially rebuilt after a collapse, and decorative elements of various kinds, from the sacred to the profane, were added.
You can also find the crypt in typical Gothic style, and the main path, called Viale dell’Immenso, is lined with a pergola embellished with wisteria plants, running among the gardens full of exotic flowers and plants, classical vases, bronze statues and neoclassical elements that fill the walkway, such as the Temple of Bacchus and the Grotta di Eva, but also the copy of the Statue of David, preserved in the city of Florence.
Viale dell’Immenso, Villa Cimbrone – credits ravello.com
Arriving on the Terrazza dell’Infinto you are faced with a breathtaking landscape: characterized by a series of white marble busts that recall the classical style persistent throughout the Villa, you have a breathtaking overlook and a 360-degree view of the Amalfi Coast from above.
The famous gardens of Villa Cimbrone are open to the public and to anyone who wants to admire the breathtaking view that this majestic historic mansion offers, from 9:00 am until sunset, for the price of 10 euros.
A view of the Terrace of Infinity, Villa Cimbrone – credits ravello.com
The Villas of the Masavillas Complex are about 15 min from Villa Cimbrone, contact us and we will organize a visit to Ravello for you!
