Villa Rufolo

When Scotsman, Frances Reid, bought Villa Rufolo in 1851, it was almost completely derelict. In spite of being famous enough to be mentioned in Bocaccio's Decameron, the 13th-century villa with its 14th-century tower had fallen into disrepair, but once renovated it is said that Wagner thought he'd found his Klingsor (the magical garden location of his famous Parsifal). Appropriately enough, the Villa is the location for the world famous annual Ravello Festival (thought to be the oldest music festival in the world). It runs from March through to November and features mainly chamber music played in open-air concerts at the Villa. Many concerts were expected to be performed at the new auditorium designed by Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer, but, as yet, the stage hasn't been used, a full year after the auditorium's inauguration. There may be photographic or art exhibitions on at the Villa, which is included in the admission fee.