1. Villa Rufolo, Ravello, Campaniafolo, Ravello, Campania
Villa Rufolo is located in the historic center of Ravello. Built in the 13th century by the wealthy Rufolo family, a member of which was cited by Boccaccio in the Decameron, the villa was also the residence of several popes as well as of Charles of Anjou. It offers a stunning panorama over the Amalfi coast and the Gulf of Salerno.
The German opera composer Richard Wagner was so moved by the beauty of the location that he imagined the setting as Klingsor's enchanted garden in the second act of Parsifal. As a tribute to this inspiration, every year the lower garden of Villa Rufolo hosts a Wagnerian concert. Wagner said he would never have been able to complete his ultimate masterpiece had he not been inspired by its gripping beauty.
2. Villa San Michele, Capri
Villa San Michele was built at the end of the 19C by the Swedish psychiatrist and writer Axel Munthe on the ruins of the Roman Emperor Tiberius‘s villa. It is located between Capri and Anacapri, at the top of the Phoenician steps, which connect the center of Capri with that of Anacapri. The gardens offer panoramic views over Capri town and its marina and the Sorrentine peninsula.
The idyllic atmosphere of the villa as well as its story are recorded in Dr. Munthe's memoirs The Story of San Michele, published in 1929. His interweaving of the villa's story with Italian history, mythology, and culture is beautifully reminiscent of 18th- and 19th-century travelogs.
3. Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Lazio
Villa d'Este was built for the son of Lucrezia Borgia, Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, in 1550. Its refined architecture and decoration testify of the spendors of Tivoli in the 16 and 17C. It is one of the most remarkable illustrations of Renaissance culture. The garden, with it fountains, ornamental bassins and other decorative elements, is one of the first giardini delle meraviglie, which had a profound influence on the development of garden design throughout Europe.
The plan of the villa is innovative and irregular in design because the architect was obliged to respect the lay-out of the previous monastic building, a Benedictine convent, on which the villa was built. The design is traditionally attributed to the Neapolitan architect Pirro Ligorio (1500-83), while the works were realized by court architect Alberto Galvani.
Lack of maintenance in the following centuries led to the decay of the complex, but between 1867 and 1882 the Villa once again became a cultural point of reference. The musician Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886) composed Giochi d'acqua a Villa d'Este for piano while a guest here, and gave one of his final concerts in the Villa in 1879.
4. Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como
Villa del Balbianello is one of the most harmonious examples of a villa with garden, where the beauty lies in the overall effect rather than in each individual detail. Situated on one of the few promontories of Lake Como the villa was built for the Milanese cardinal Angelo M. Durini who wanted an isolated site where he could receive his frivolous invitees, but also philosophers and writers. The garden is unique in its lay-out, not following any standards of that time, because it had to be adapted to the natural setting. The villa was used as a setting in the James Bond movie Casino Royale.
5. Villa Carlotta, Lake Como
Villa Carlotta occupies an admirable site facing the Grigne Massif. It was built in the late 17th century following the canons of late Lombard Baroque. In the 19th century the residence was converted into a Neo-Classical villa.
It houses numerous statues, including a copy by Tadolini of the famous group of Cupid and Psyche by Canova, as well as paintings by Hayez and furniture by Magggiolini. The botanical garden contains over 800 different species and varieties.
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