Villa Cimbrone and the Terrace of Infinity
Everyone knows the terrace with the marble busts. The garden around it deserves at least an hour: here's how we walk it.
Villa Cimbrone sits at the far end of Ravello, on the last spur of the hill, and the only way in is on foot. It's the walk I suggest to all our guests on their first morning: out of the door, across a square that's still empty, and in just over a quarter of an hour you're at the gate.
The villa itself is a hotel today, but the gardens are open to everyone, every day, with a ticket. If you've read our guide to things to do in Ravello, this is the close-up: how to get there, the English lord who shaped the place, a route through the garden and a few practical tips.
- From our house
- 1 km on foot, about 20 minutes
- Time to allow
- one to one and a half hours
- Gardens
- open daily, ticket required
- Best time
- at opening or late afternoon
Cover photo: Mihael Grmek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
On foot, through Ravello's lanes
No cars or buses reach Villa Cimbrone: the last stretch is pedestrian only, a narrow lane of paving and steps. From Via Lacco we walk down to Piazza Duomo, cross it and take Via San Francesco, which climbs gently past the church and friary of San Francesco. Then carry on along Via Santa Chiara, between stone walls and vegetable gardens, to the villa's gate.
From the square it's about ten unhurried minutes. If you come by car or bus you'll leave it in the village anyway: car parks and bus stops are on our Where we are page. With a pushchair or limited mobility, bear in mind there are steps both on the way and inside the garden.
An English lord, a Ravello tailor and some famous guests
The villa dates back to the Middle Ages. It belonged to Ravello's noble families, first the Acconciajoco and then the Fusco, and later to the Amici family of Atrani. In 1904 it was bought by Ernest William Beckett, an English banker who became Lord Grimthorpe, and he rebuilt it from top to bottom. For the work he turned to Nicola Mansi, a Ravello man he had met in England, where Mansi worked as a tailor and barber. The turrets, the battlements, the cloister: what you see today is the work of those two.
Between the wars half of literary England came through: Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster, the economist Keynes, and Vita Sackville-West is said to have given advice on the garden. In 1938 Greta Garbo and the conductor Leopold Stokowski hid away here for a few days, and a plaque still marks it. Since the 1970s the villa has belonged to the Vuilleumier family, who restored it and turned it into a hotel.
Photo: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Our route through the garden
The garden is large, almost all terraces, and the paths criss-cross. My advice is simple: head straight for the terrace while it's quiet, and save the rest for the way back.
The cloister and the crypt
Right after the entrance, before the garden proper, there's a small cloister with pointed arches, twisted columns and potted plants. A little further on is the crypt, a room with stone vaults. They only take a few minutes, but don't skip them: they're the calmest corners of the villa.
The Avenue of Immensity
The Viale dell'Immenso is the long straight avenue that runs the length of the garden, partly under a pergola. Lawns, flower beds and statues line it, and at the end a small temple with a statue of Ceres serves as the gateway to the terrace. Walk it without stopping too much: the best part comes next.
The Terrace of Infinity
A long balcony with marble busts lined up along the parapet, hanging over the drop more than three hundred metres above the sea. In front of you is the whole Gulf of Salerno, and on clear days you can see the Cilento coast down towards Paestum. Gore Vidal, who lived next door at La Rondinaia for thirty years, said the most beautiful view he had ever seen was this one, on a clear winter's day, when sky and sea were the same blue. We've been coming here all our lives, and every time we agree with him.
The Temple of Bacchus, Eve's Grotto and the roses
On the way back, take the side paths. The Temple of Bacchus is a small round temple of columns looking out over the valley, with a statue of the god in the middle: Lord Grimthorpe, who died in London in 1917, asked to be buried right there. Not far away, in the shade of holm oaks, is Eve's Grotto, a hollow in the rock with a statue of Eve.
Closer to the villa you'll find the Mercury Belvedere, the rose terrace and the tea room. The roses were the passion of Beckett's daughter Lucy, who bred a variety named the Rose of Ravello. Come in spring and this part of the garden is at its best.
Photo: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Hours, tickets and what to know
The gardens open every day, but hours change with the seasons and there are sometimes early closures for events, so always check the official Villa Cimbrone website before you set out. You buy your ticket at the entrance, with reductions for children and groups; guided tours are booked directly with the villa.
Don't rule out winter. With few people and low light the terrace has a different mood, the one Gore Vidal loved, and for once you can sit on the parapet looking at the sea without anyone queueing behind you for a photo.
Four tips from someone who lives here
- Get there at opening time: for the first half hour the Terrace of Infinity is almost yours, and the morning light on the gulf is the best of the day.
- If mornings aren't your thing, go late in the afternoon, when the day trippers head back to Amalfi. Keep an eye on the last entry time.
- Wear closed, comfortable shoes: there are steps, gravel and a few climbs between the lane and the garden paths. In summer, bring water.
- Pair it with Villa Rufolo: Cimbrone in the morning, Rufolo and the cathedral in the afternoon, then an aperitivo in the square as the village empties out.
Villa Cimbrone: questions our guests ask
How long does it take to visit Villa Cimbrone?
An hour is enough for the cloister, the Avenue of Immensity, the Terrace of Infinity and the Temple of Bacchus; allow an hour and a half to see the whole garden at an easy pace. Add about ten minutes' walk each way from the cathedral square.
Can I visit Villa Cimbrone if I'm not staying at the hotel?
Yes. The villa is a hotel, but the gardens and the Terrace of Infinity are open to everyone, every day, with an entrance ticket.
How much is the Villa Cimbrone ticket?
The price can change from season to season and there are reductions for children and groups: the current price is on the official Villa Cimbrone website.
Can you drive to Villa Cimbrone?
No, the last stretch is pedestrian only. Leave the car in one of Ravello's paid car parks and walk about ten minutes from the cathedral square, along lanes with a few steps.
Villa Cimbrone or Villa Rufolo: which is better?
They're different and close together. Cimbrone has the bigger garden and the Terrace of Infinity; Rufolo is right on the square, with its medieval cloister and the Ravello Festival concerts in summer. You can easily see both in one day.
The empty terrace in the early morning belongs to those who sleep in town
Our holiday apartment is on Via Lacco, a kilometre from Villa Cimbrone: walk there, arrive before the tour groups, and come back for lunch on the sea-view balcony.