Villa Rufolo is the older and more historically significant of Ravello's two great villas. Built in the 11th century by the wealthy Rufolo family — one of the most powerful in medieval Amalfi — the complex passed through many hands before the Scottish botanist Francis Neville Reid restored it in the 1850s and created the gardens that survive today. The tower and some of the original Arab-Norman architecture remain: the inner courtyard mixes Moorish arches with gothic columns in a way that feels genuinely Sicilian rather than Italian.
The gardens themselves cascade down the cliff in terraces, and the view from the main terrace across the gulf is extraordinary in almost any light. In summer the estate becomes a concert stage for the Ravello Festival; if you are visiting in July or August, check whether an evening performance coincides with your stay. The museum inside the villa covers the estate's history and its Wagner connection.