Photos courtesy of Hotel Palumbo
Back in the 12th century, the palace was known as the Palazzo Confalone, a name taken from one of Ravello’s most prestigious families.
In the mid-19th century, Pasquale Palumbo arrived from Switzerland and fell in love with Ravello. He founded the Episcopio winery in 1860 and opened the doors of the palace as a hotel in 1875. His wife, Elisabetta von Wartburg, was famous in her own right and attracted celebrities of the time, such as Richard Wagner, Edvard Grieg, and D.H. Lawrence to visit. The hotel’s fame for hospitality grew rapidly, with Hollywood film stars of the 1950s, writers, and musicians finding their way here.
The hotel continues to be owned and managed by the Vuilleumier family, direct descendants of Pasquale and Elisabetta.
Pamela’s Perspective
Rising 335 meters (over 1000 feet) from the sea, Ravello is one of those enchanting villages with mind-boggling views that sweep across the Amalfi coast. It has always been a patrician town, attracting a Who’s Who clientele who come for its gorgeous and chic location.
Seven of the guest rooms at the Hotel Palumbo are located outside of the main building in the garden annex; the rooms are lovely, and some have sea views. However, I would still opt for a room in the main building.
Hotel Palumbo
A 12th-century palace
Contact
Via S. Giovanni del Toro, 16
Ravello
(Salerno)
Tel: ++39 089 857 244
Fax: ++39 089 858 133
Hotel website
Reserve with Booking.com
Fast facts
21 rooms; some rooms located in a nearby annex.
Double rooms: 195–495 euros
Suites: 450–895 euros
Rates include: tax and service
Open: all year
Getting there
Ravello can be reached by car or bus from Amalfi, 7 km down the hill. The hotel is signposted and easy to find. Charge for parking.
What to do
Nearby: Episcopio Winery; beach (hotel transfer); Villa Rufolo; Villa Cimbione; Amalfi; Salerno; Positano; Pompeii; hiking; horseback riding
Weddings
Yes. Inquire hotel for details.
Walk through the bougainvillea-covered entryway and enter a romantic world of marble columns and arches, stone galleries, and passageways, all filled to the brim with lush green plants and fresh flowers. A suggestion of North Africa underscores the Hotel Palumbo’s striking, ancient architecture.
There are only 21 guest rooms, allowing less a hotel feel and more of a private guest house exclusivity. Individually furnished with perfect taste, rooms are named, not numbered. Many are decorated with 16th- 18th-century antiques belonging to the Vuilleumier family. Many of the rooms, too, have individual terraces with terrific views.
Dining at the Hotel Palumbo is either in an elegant 17th-century dining room with a vaulted ceiling and featuring a priceless painting by Guido Reni, one of Caravaggio’s students, or on the terrace with a panoramic view of the Amalfi coast.
When the weather is fine, the Hotel Palumbo maintains a private luxury villa down at the beach.
Something special
Produces its own wine under the Episcopio label
Unique architecture and fabulous views of the Amalfi coast