Ravello's Pink Palazzo
Issue 001: Escape the Amalfi Coast crowds at Palazzo Avino, a fairytale palace in the sky, where family-style luxury soars to new heights and the limoncello spritzes are heavenly.
Introduction
Did anyone else watch The Talented Mr Ripley and immediately become obsessed with the languid-chic allure of southern Italy? If so, this very first issue (!) of Far-Flung Corners—dedicated to a less-visited corner of the Amalfi Coast—will likely ignite that nostalgia, and prompt a rewatch. Although the 1999 movie was primarily filmed on the island of Ischia, on the other side of the Bay of Naples, the dramatic vistas of quaint fishing villages cascading down the cliffs to meet the sapphire waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea are similarly alluring along the Amalfi Coast. And being there immediately conjures the vibe of the movie, which is perennially my summer style inspiration.
But the destination is so spectacularly charming that it has become somewhat overrun (dare I say, ruined?) by international visitors, who descend upon this picturesque peninsula in droves each summer. The towns of Positano, Atrani (where the recent Netflix adaptation of Ripley was set and filmed), and Amalfi itself are all choked by traffic and throngs of tourists through peak season. And honestly, this was exactly what I was expecting to encounter when I visited the area in May 2024. However, a spot tucked further up the mountains, close enough to the action but largely removed from all of the chaos, completely stole my heart. Here was the Amalfian dream that Jude, Matt, and Gwyneth had sold to me.
Ravello
After arriving into Naples airport, then leaving the sprawling city and haunting silhouette of Vesuvius behind, the road to the Amalfi Coast twists and turns through the mountains (car-sickness sufferers, be warned!). Only slightly delayed by a stop for lemon sorbet at the side of a roundabout (a must), we emerged still high among the peaks into a small hilltop village where buildings cling to the steep terrain, away from the congested coast road below. This is Ravello, which myself and a small group of fellow journalists had the pleasure of visiting during a sweet spot for both climate and capacity. In May, the weather was beautifully sunny and very pleasant to be out in, with daytime temps in the low 70s Fahrenheit (low 20s Celsius for my fellow Brits) and cooler nights requiring long sleeves, a chic shawl, or a sweater tied over the shoulders. Taking the opportunity to explore early one morning, there was barely a soul in sight, and although bodies in slow-moving groups started to fill the streets and sites later on, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as I expected given the location.
A network of narrow paths and stairways that criss-cross the village lead all the way to Amalfi in the west and Minori to the east, presumably continuing on in both directions beyond. These pedestrian-only alleys connect small hidden piazzas, and emerge onto the hairpin roads at various elevations, while offering incredible coastline views at almost every turn. As we meandered, we stumbled upon an Oscar Niemeyer-designed performing arts venue, with a swooping white form that’s impressive but wholly out of place (whispers say that many locals agree), a crumbling overgrown church with a vaulted roof, and many family run restaurants and hotels that all have just as stunning a view as the large luxury properties. Overall, Ravello for me was utterly disarming, incredibly romantic (it was sad to be there without my partner, Jonathan—I’ll bring him one day!), and far from the tourist crush I’d anticipated. And there were a couple of standout sites…
Villa Rufolo
A very knowledgeable tour guide (whose name I shamefully forgot to note down) took us to two of Ravello’s historic villas, each with its own beauty, appeal, and of course, views. The first, Villa Rufolo, is just off the town’s central Piazza del Duomo, and was built—as per usual in 13th-century Italy—by a wealthy merchant family. Due to its fame and location, it’s the busiest tourist spot in Ravello, but still well worth exploring both inside and out (it’s only €8), and it was not crowded in May. Added to and adapted multiple times over the decades, the villa features Romanesque towers, Venetian-influenced details, and the real showstopper: an incredible garden renovated by Scottish botanist Sir Francis Neville Reid in the second half of the 19th century.
Located on a belvedere terrace, with views to the sea past soaring umbrella pines and the two-towered Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie (also depicted on the cute ceramic-tile house numbers across the village), the garden’s strict geometry and the colors of the perfectly manicured flower beds stand in dazzling contrast to the seemingly endless blue of the water and sky. Every summer, Villa Rufolo becomes the heart of Ravello’s world-renowned music festival, when a stage is literally hung off the edge of the terrace and an orchestra performs a sunrise concert.
Villa Cimbrone
Not to be outdone, Villa Cimbrone at the other end of town is an equally captivating visit, and also a five-star hotel, where celebs including actors Lizzy Caplan (Janice Ian in Mean Girls!) and Tom Riley have tied the knot. But the public can explore its lower floors and expansive English-style gardens for a small fee. The building dates back to the 11th century and features a cloister-style courtyard, two restaurants (one with a Michelin star), and expansive grounds that are equally as stunning Rufolo’s, if not more so.
A long axial promenade leads from one end of the other, past rose gardens, orchid beds, and clipped hedgerows to the pièce de résistance: Terrazza dell'Infinito, a terracotta-tiled patio with sculpture-capped balustrades and a dizzying view down to the water below. An engagement photoshoot dream, unless you’re a vertigo sufferer. There’s also a tiny bar directly underneath the terrace, which I was quite sad that we didn’t get the chance to enjoy. Another reason to come back.
Palazzo Avino
The primary purpose for this trip was to stay at the jewel of Ravello: a fairytale pastel-pink palace 1,000 feet above the glittering sea. For the past few years, this grand Romanesque villa has been lovingly renovated by sisters Mariella and Atillia Avino, who inherited the 12th-century property from their father in the 1990s. Palazzo Avino is now a jaw-dropping, five-star hotel that takes family-style hospitality to new luxurious heights. Perched at the top of a steep slope, the building overlooks multiple terraced gardens peppered with loungers, cabanas and pergolas, as well as a slender swimming pool, foregrounding the spectacular vista of the mountains beyond from anywhere on the property.
The sisters’ distinctive tastes are imbued into every corner of the palazzo, from the varied soft-hued interiors of the 33 rooms and 10 suites, and the artworks displayed throughout the communal spaces, to new pink and white parasols on the terraces, and even the locally sourced ceramic dinnerware. A stylized lion motif appears in the glass entry door pulls, the weighty room-key chains (who else misses real room keys? The plastic cards just aren’t the same), and even embroidered in pink (notice a theme here) on the towels, robes, slippers, and other in-room productsc . For those who fully embrace the pastel wonderland aesthetic, Mariella’s curated boutique—a zero-exertion hop across the street from the hotel’s main entrance—features women’s clothing, accessories, and a trove of trinkets are playfully displayed amongst vintage Barbies and shell-shaped tiles.
Dining & Drinking
For aperitivo, my favorite time of day, the courtyard Lobster and Martini bar serves over 100 martini variations, including the Ravello Espresso Martini made with vodka fragranced with local lemons, vanilla liqueur and a lemon twist that was such a triumph that I’ve even recreated at home since. Imagine the bliss of sipping a cocktail while wearing billowy palazzo pants, and staring out over the view from the terrace, as the sun sinks behind the horizon and streaks the sky with pink hues to match the patio furniture. I found out later that two of my friends got engaged in this very spot, and you’d be hard pressed to find better.
The hotel’s Michelin-star restaurant, Rossellinis, was revamped for the 2024 summer season not long before we arrived. Working with architect Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva, who has been a partner in slowly updating the hotel (more details in my article for Galerie), the team imbued the semi-outdoor terrace with a Mediterranean vibe created by dark green furniture, a retractable fabric roof, and tropical flora between the tables. The extensive breakfast buffet and sharp fresh lemon juice is served here, overlooking the view—which you really can’t escape. For dinner, champagne, cocktails, and nibbles are served on a lower terrace, before moving upstairs for a multi-course seasonal menu that for us included a lemon ravioli that I’m still dreaming about. The colorful ceramics are used to present each of the courses, with the amuse bouches housed inside a stacked set that is based on a traditional Neapolitan game.
Guests also have the option of dining at the Terrazza Belvedere; same view, less extravagant menu, still just as delicious. A glass of the family’s own limoncello after each meal (plus the several cocktails we consumed during) had us heading up to bed deliciously tipsy each night. As you may have gathered, lemons and lemon-based products are a running theme here. This corner of the world is famous for them—they’re apparently larger, sweeter, and boast “superior aromatic potency” than others—which is why the limoncello is so darn good.
Guest Rooms & Amenities
Facing east, the Sea View rooms like the one in which I stayed allow the morning sun to wash through the arch-shaped window as it crests over the mountain beyond (if you’re a ‘curtains open’ advocate like me). My room had recently been renovated in a soothing sage green and peach palette, and was tastefully furnished, although I did have to move the lounge chairs and small table every time I wanted to open the swing window. I also took a peek at another of the journalist’s rooms, a huge suite at the far end of the building which was decorated in the same style, but boasted a private terrace and an enormous bathroom. Worth the extra dollars for honeymooners.
Downstairs, on the building’s lowest level, there’s a small but lovely spa with steam rooms, saunas, a jacuzzi, and treatment rooms for facials and massages. My full-body massage was relaxing but not as intense pressure-wise as I typically enjoy, despite asking the masseuse to take no prisoners. The unheated outdoor pool, which occupies one of the terraces, would no doubt be beautifully refreshing in the high-summer heat, but wasn’t quite appropriate for May. Another small pool is located on the roof, along with loungers and cafe tables, but I preferred to lay out on the lawns below where there was slightly more buzz.
Clubhouse by the Sea
Half a day at Palazzo Avino’s Clubhouse by the Sea was simply not enough. A short, private shuttle ride down the mountain from the main hotel (and past the dreaded traffic), the beach club occupies a rare waterfront villa spread over multiple terraced levels that required an intense leg workout to reach the poolside patios and ocean-adjacent ledges built onto the rocks for lounging. If Ripley’s Dickie Greenleaf and Marge Sherwood were written for today’s era, this is where I imagine they’d be spending their afternoons reading and tanning.
I am not a fan of the ocean whatsoever, but was somehow coerced into taking a dip—it may have been the string of limoncello spritzes, perhaps the best summer drinks I’ve ever had. The water temperature in May made for a bracing yet refreshing swim, before drying off and relaxing under the now-signature pink and white parasols. For lunch, a calzone pizza came fresh out of the oven (and another spritz accompanied…). The club offers hotel guests a change of scenery from the main property—not that it’s need it, mind—and adds to Palazzo Avino’s major selling point that you don’t have to leave Ravello at all during a short stay and feel totally fine about it.
Kitty Mafia
As a cat lover (who recently adopted their own adorably chaotic kitten!), any destination with a feline population earns extra points. The numerous kitties that call Ravello home appear to run the town like a tiny, furry mafia, positioned strategically around the town on car roofs or patrolling the stone streets as if taking note of every movement. Some were friendly and welcomed petting, while others darted off if I got too close. But all were gorgeous and gave the village even more character, topping of an unforgettable experience that totally fulfilled my Talented Mr Ripley fantasy from start to finish.
Thank you’s
A huge thank you to Andrea Holden and Amanda Benedetto from Purple PR for the invitation to Palazzo Avino, and for being amazing stewards on this trip, as well as to my fellow travelers Linda Denahan, Ty Gaskins, and Laura Itzkowitz (who writes her own wonderful newsletter, The New Roman Times) for providing such wonderful company. All of the staff at Palazzo Avino, your service was excellent and everyone always had a smile on their face. And of course, so much gratitude to Mariella and Attilla Avino for being the most gracious, generous hosts. Our dinners together with Sir Richard Wagner (Mariella’s dachshund) were so much fun. I hope you’ll have me back again very soon!
Ravello was hands down the highlight of my trip to the Amalfi Coast! IMO Ravello and the Path of the Gods hike are the two best parts of that region.