Music on the Amalfi Coast at the Ravello Festival

Imagine a sweeping vista overlooking the rugged coastline of the Amalfi Coast with all its brightly coloured flowers, lemon groves and whitewashed buildings spilling down toward the marvellous blue Mediterranean Sea. These unbelievable views become reality in the small town of Ravello, home to the Ravello Festival.

Concerts take place at the grand stage built overlooking the Amalfi coastline. A sunset concert in this spot is a breathtaking experience. Events take place throughout the Villa Rufolo gardens, and in lovely and intimate spots throughout the town, including the Duomo of Ravello and the gardens of the Villa Cimbrone.

The Ravello Festival was launched in the 1950s as an event dedicated to the music of the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). How did Wagner come to Ravello? On the back of a donkey to be precise!

The connection between Ravello and Germany’s famous opera composer dates back to 1880 when Wagner visited Ravello while working on his final opera Parsifal. The traditional story says that Wagner was so struck by the exquisite beauty of the gardens and views from the Villa Rufolo that he supposedly exclaimed: "Here is the enchanted garden of Klingsor!". The beautiful gardens of the Villa Rufolo have continued to be a source of inspiration for countless artists just as they inspired Wagner’s magical gardens of Klingsor in Parsifal.

While the festival is no longer dedicated solely to the music of Wagner, the spirit is carried through each year in what the Ravello Festival calls the Wagnerian Leitmotiv, or the overall theme that sets the mood for the summer events.

Beginning in 2010, the Ravello Festival has a new permanent home in the Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer designed and named after the world famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Fans of modern architecture will find another reason to visit Ravello in this beautiful and striking auditorium designed by a true master of modern architecture.