La Rondinaia - A Bird's-Eye View to the Past in Ravello
Swallows, a late spring & visiting La Rondinaia in Ravello.
There’s an old Italian saying “Una rondine non fa primavera,” which means one swallow doesn’t mean spring has arrived. Like spotting the first robin in spring in America, the arrival of swallows is a sure sign that spring is on the way. However, it doesn’t mean there won’t still be rainy and cool weather. And it certainly hasn’t meant that this year since we’ve had the rainiest May pretty much anyone can recall. Now that June is here, I think it’s safe to say we have enough swallows to say that spring has finally made a late arrival on the Amalfi Coast … just in time for summer!
Speaking of swallows, this spring I’ve had the chance to visit La Rondinaia—meaning “The Swallow’s Nest—which is a remarkable villa in Ravello that was home to American author Gore Vidal for more than three decades. Having the chance to visit and see Vidal’s office where he wrote so many of his books—as you can read more about below—was an incredible experience. Certainly a highlight of spring!
- Wisteria blooming at La Rondinaia in Ravello.
Last autumn I wrote about E.M. Forster’s time in Ravello and mentioned La Rondinaia - at that time not imagining I’d have a chance to visit it once, let alone twice, this spring. I hope you enjoy coming along!
Ciao from Amalfi,
Laura
VISITING LA RONDINAIA IN RAVELLO
Open this spring for the first time ever to the public during the FAI Spring Days, find out more about La Rondinaia’s past and how its history has been beautifully preserved.