Sights in Ravello
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Villa Cimbrone
Some way east of Piazza del Duomo, the 20th-century Villa Cimbrone is worth seeking out for the vast views from the delightfully ramshackle gardens. The best viewpoint is the Belvedere of Infinity, an awe-inspiring terrace lined with fake classical busts.
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Cathedral
Forming the eastern flank of Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral was originally built in 1086 but has since undergone various facelifts. The facade is 16th century, even if the central bronze door is an 1179 original; the interior is a late-20th-century interpretation of what the original must once have looked like. The pulpit is particularly striking, supported by six twisting columns set on marble lions and decorated with flamboyant mosaics of peacocks, birds and dancing lions. Note also how the floor is tilted towards the square – a deliberate measure to enhance the perspective effect. To the right of the central nave, stairs lead down to the cathedral museum and its mod…
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Villa Rufolo Gardens
To the south of the cathedral, Villa Rufolo is famous for its fabulous 19th-century gardens. Commanding mesmerising views, they are packed with exotic colours, artistically crumbling towers and luxurious blooms. On seeing them in 1880, Wagner wrote that he had found the garden of Klingsor (setting for the second act of his opera Parsifal ). Today the gardens are used to stage concerts during the town’s celebrated festival.
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Duomo
Once a flourishing religious centre with more than a hundred churches, Scala is now a sleepy place where the wind whistles through empty streets and gnarled locals go patiently about their daily chores. In the central square, the Romanesque Duomo retains some of its 12th-century solemnity.
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