Travel tips for opera lovers – Naples and Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner in Sorrento and Ravello

The series about historical places of opera art. Get to know exciting excursion and travel ideas for opera lovers. This time: a historic hotel and Villa Rufolo.

All Destinations on google maps with links to detailed Blogposts:

Richard Wagner in Naples

The winters in Bayreuth were very cold and foggy and Wagner escaped them by regularly traveling to the south. He had a love-hate relationship with Naples, a love of the joy of life of the people but a hatred of the unbridled noise of the big city. The visit to Ravello on the Amalfi Coast in the garden of Palazzo Rufolo inspired him to create Klingsor’s garden (“I have found the magic garden of Klingsor!”) for his “Parsifal“.

LINK TO THE COMPLETE WAGNER BIOGRAPHY

Destination Villa Rufolo in Ravello

This beautifully situated spot can be visited and the gardens are in great shape.

http://www.villarufolo.it/home.html

Villa Rufolo:

Destination Grand Hotel Vittoria in Sorrento

In 1877 Wagner stayed at this hotel with Cosima and met for the last time with Nietzsche, who resided not far away. Later, celebrities such as Enrico Caruso, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, Luciano Pavarotti, Sophia Loren and Lucio Dalla also stayed at this elegant hotel.

https://www.exvitt.it/

Grand hotel Vittoria:

Musical background: Scene of the flowermaidens from “Parsifal”

In Klingsor’s garden, flower maidens try to seduce Parsifal. Klingsor had sent them out to steal Parsifal’s chastity. But Parsifal fends off the flower maidens, who try to lure the young man with beguiling song.

Link to the musical excerpt:

PARSIFAL by Richard Wagner – the opera guide and synopsis (opera-inside.com)