Town of Ravello

When the nearby Amalfi, thanks to its clever and cunning diplomacy with the Arabs and Byzantines, conquered its maritime supremacy in the Tyrrheanian and then Mediterranean Sea, and emancipated itself from the power of Naples and Byzantium itself, becoming a Republic in 810, for Ravello and the other villages of the Duchy, their most thriving and important period begun.

The most noble and illustrious families, such as the Rufolo, the De Marra and the Frezza, started to trade, contributing to the development of the city.

The wealth reached by the Ravello families is shown by the sumptuous architecture of their buildings, preserved intact to this day, while their faith is proven by the, about eighty, religious buildings, namely churches and monasteries, and works of art that they conceal. 

The fortified city, with three lines of walls and several towers, reached its climax of glory, had its downward period: civil strife, earthquakes, Saracen invasions and incursions, epidemics, immigration and the extinction of noble dynasties were all factors that determined its fall.

Nevertheless, the charm of Ravello remained: its history, natural beauty, and the hospitality of its inhabitants is an attraction for the thousands of tourists, from all parts of the globe, that come to Ravello all year round.