Parks and gardens on the Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast, renowned for its natural beauty and picturesque towns perched on cliffs overlooking the sea, is also home to a number of beautiful parks and gardens. These green spaces are corners of peace, colours and scents, where citizens and tourists alike take refuge to get away from the chaos of the city and relax in contact with nature. Let’s discover together those not to be missed!
The garden of Villa Rufolo in Ravello
Overlooking Piazza Vescovado, Villa Rufolo is a prestigious 13th century complex that has enchanted poets, writers, artists and musicians such as Wagner, Toscanini and Fellini over time. The centrepiece of the villa is the garden, also known as the Garden of the Soul. Its beauty is owed to Francis Nevile Reid, a Scottish philanthropist nobleman and expert in botany and ancient art, who designed it and started a real school. The garden, where plants and flowers are accompanied by breathtaking views, is spread over two levels: the lower part, decorated with wisteria, bougainvillea, roses and even an African baobab, where the Ravello Festival is held every year; and the upper part, with hydrangeas, cordillines and a hundred-year-old specimen of stone pine.
The gardens of Villa Cimbrone in Ravello
Also in Ravello, the gardens of Villa Cimbrone are certainly worth a visit. They are remarkable for their naturalistic interest and the views of the landscape that make them an unforgettable destination. Redesigned in the early 20th century with the contribution of the English poet and botanist Vita Sackville West, they are still considered one of the most important examples that Anglo-Saxon landscape and botanical culture has ever generated in southern Europe. They extend over a total area of about six hectares and are characterised by winding paths, ancient trees, rare flower species and buildings in neo-Gothic and Renaissance style. Here is one of the most romantic places on the coast, the Terrace of Infinity, from which one can enjoy a truly enchanting panorama.
The Beniamino Cimini Exotic Garden in Maiori
If we talk about green spaces on the Amalfi Coast, we cannot fail to mention the Beniamino Cimini Exotic Garden in Maiori, named after its creator. It is the ideal place to read a good book surrounded by nature or relax a little. It extends over five terraces with breathtaking views and has around two thousand types of exotic plants, cacti and succulents (the result of a passionate harvesting process) that complement the traditional lemon cultivation typical of the area. Spring is the most florid period in which to admire the many varieties of blooms. The entrance ticket includes a cool non-alcoholic drink at the end of the visit.
The gardens of Palazzo Mezzacapo in Maiori
Located in the centre of Corso Reginna (Maiori’s main street), Palazzo Mezzacapo is a splendid noble palace that belonged to the family of Marquis Mezzacapo. It is currently home to the municipal library, the historical archive, the cultural workshop, and some municipal offices. Next to the palace are the beautiful Mezzacapo gardens, whose layout is said to be in the shape of the Maltese cross, in honour of the order of the same name to which several members of the family belonged. What is striking about these gardens is the supreme beauty of the artificial grottoes and water paths.
The Secret Garden of the Soul in Tramonti
At Campinola (one of the thirteen hamlets that make up the municipality of Tramonti), 450 metres above sea level in the heights of the immediate hinterland of the Amalfi Coast, is the Giardino Segreto dell’Anima (Secret Garden of the Soul), a place of feelings, emotions and culture for plants, greenery and the environment. The name is particularly evocative: ‘secret’ because, protected by a thick hedge, it is hardly visible from the outside; and ‘of the soul’ because with its perfumes and colours it stirs emotions in the soul of those who walk its paths. Born from the transformation of an old vineyard, it extends over eight sloping terraces and has more than a thousand species of plants, of various origins and seasonality. Very significant is the collection of roses (over three hundred varieties).
The Minerva Garden in Salerno
Finally, we also recommend a visit to the Minerva Garden in Salerno. Located in the heart of the old city centre, in an area called ‘Plaium montis’ in the Middle Ages, it is what remains of the medical garden of Matteo Silvatico (1285-1342), a distinguished representative of the Salerno Medical School (the oldest medical university in the world) and a profound connoisseur of plants for the production of medicines. The garden is laid out in a series of terraces, connected by canals, basins and fountains. The most valuable element is undoubtedly the 17th-century staircase, built on the ancient walls, leading to a pergola-covered belvedere, from which one can admire the harbour and the city centre.
