Villa Cimbrone e Terrazza dell'Infinito

Villa Cimbrone's gardens occupy a ridge above Ravello, culminating in the Terrazza dell'Infinito, a belvedere edged with copies of Roman busts and open to a wide view of the Gulf of Salerno. The early twentieth-century garden reshaped an estate recorded since the eleventh century.

Why it matters

The estate combines a medieval property history with an early twentieth-century garden design associated with Ernest William Beckett, Lord Grimthorpe. The result is a landscape of terraces, classical references and views over the Amalfi Coast.

What to notice

Fountains, grottoes, statues and small pavilions shape the garden's sequence of spaces. A domed pavilion with a statue of Ceres frames the approach to the Terrace of Infinity, where a balustrade of Roman bust copies faces the sea. In a grotto, a marble figure of Eve is attributed to Adamo Tadolini. A circular temple in the grounds contains Grimthorpe's ashes. The palace has a tower with a majolica spire inspired by the bell tower of San Martino.

Context and history

The estate called Cimbronium appears in records from the eleventh century and later passed from the Acconciajoco to the Fusco family. Lord Grimthorpe reshaped the villa and grounds in the early twentieth century, engaging Ravello craftsman Nicola Mansi. Contributions to the garden's redesign are also attributed to Vita Sackville-West. After a period of decline, the Vuilleumier family began restoring the estate in the late 1960s.