In 1880, the German composer Richard Wagner walked through these grounds and found the real-world setting for Klingsor's enchanted garden in the second act of his opera Parsifal. Located in Ravello's Piazza del Vescovado, directly facing the cathedral, Villa Rufolo traces its initial layout back to the 13th century. It was established by the Rufolos, a powerful merchant family whose immense wealth earned Landolfo Rufolo a dedicated story in Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. Over the centuries, the estate passed by inheritance through the Confalone, Muscettola, and d'Afflitto families. In the mid-19th century, it was purchased by Francis Nevile Reid, a Scottish lord and botany expert, who carried out an extensive restoration that gave the estate its current European landscape design. Managed by the Salerno Provincial Tourism Board from 1974 until 2007, the property is now under the care of the Fondazione Ravello.
What to see
Visitors enter the estate through an ogival opening in the medieval entrance tower, which houses four statues symbolizing Charity and Hospitality. A short path leads to a clearing dominated by the Torre Maggiore. Standing approximately 30 metres tall and facing the cathedral's bell tower, this structure served for centuries as a testament to the Rufolo family's economic and social dominance. The architecture is a striking example of the Arab-Norman style, most clearly readable in the elevated courtyard cloister, which features a double order of columns adorned with Arab-Sicilian decorations. Art historians, including Adolf Goldschmid and Professor Koenig, have noted strong stylistic parallels between the villa's audience hall and the 12th-century castles of Fawara in Palermo and Caronia in Messina, suggesting the earliest structures may predate the 13th century. The main building also includes a barrel-vaulted chapel and the recently restored upper rooms, which overlook the grounds and frequently host exhibitions. Outside, the upper and lower terraces drop precipitously toward the Amalfi Coast and the Gulf of Salerno, maintaining gardens that are in bloom for most of the year.
Visiting
The estate allows exploration of the terraced gardens, the cloister, and several rooms that form a small museum. A major addition to the itinerary came in 2017 following a significant restoration of the Torre Maggiore, which now hosts a vertical museum. By climbing approximately 100 steps, visitors reach a belvedere offering expansive views over the historic center and the coastline. The lower garden is inextricably linked to Ravello's identity as the "City of Music." Following 1930s performances by the Orchestra of the Teatro di San Carlo of Naples, Girolamo Bottiglieri and Paolo Caruso launched the "Wagnerian Concerts in the Gardens of Klingsor" here in 1953 to mark 70 years since the composer's death. This legacy continues today under the name of the Ravello Festival.
Our editors' tip
Pause inside the entrance tower before proceeding to the gardens: the four medieval statues symbolizing Charity and Hospitality are an easily overlooked detail, yet they provide an immediate introduction to the values and historical weight of the merchant family that founded the estate.