Villa Maria
Ravello
Painting and review are copyrighted work by Ginda Simpson
As with many places on the Amalfi Coast, one must climb to
reach Villa Maria, but what other way is there to reach Paradise?
A stay at Villa Maria is indeed heavenly.
Vincenzo Palombo, the villa’s owner, represents the third
generation of his family to work in the hotel business.
He purchased this 1935 villa over thirty years ago and devotedly
restored it to accommodate guests in its 27 rooms, successfully creating
bedrooms and living rooms that have maintained the feel of a private home.
From the moment we arrived at Villa Maria’s gate, we were
welcomed and made to feel at home by the friendly personnel.
The rooms are beautifully decorated, the views stunning, and the
food excellent. In
fact, much of what is used in their kitchen is grown nearby in a graceful,
terraced garden where the produce is selected and picked each day for the
chefs. This, coupled
with the culinary skills of their chefs, has earned their restaurant the Gambero
Rosso award in recognition of its cuisine. Villa Maria is listed among
the top 365 restaurants in all of Italy.
My husband and I spent two quiet, winter days here when flowers and
town activities were still dormant, and yet everything seemed to whisper
the promise of the warm, flowery days ahead.
Sitting on our balcony, with a view of the sea, I found myself
dreaming of what the spring and summer in Ravello must be like.