The Green that Defies the Desert
Nestled among the vineyards of Mount Epomeo and overlooking the deep blue of the sea of Forio, the Ravino Gardens are a botanical acclimatization park that, in an area of 6,500 square meters, houses the largest and most varied European collection of succulent plants, the result of over sixty years of passion and dedication from Captain Giuseppe D'Ambra. Inspired by the principles of biodiversity and natural harmony, the park offers a surprising wealth with its 5,000 specimens belonging to 400 plant species, accompanied by about 200 varieties of Cycadales, Palms, and Musaceae. A journey through shapes, colors, and plant geometries that celebrate the strength, resilience, and beauty of life in the most extreme climates.
A Dream Forged by the Sea
For Giuseppe D’Ambra, the passion for succulents is a family vice: his father, Antonio, already collected crassulas, planting them in shells. However, it was during his career at sea that this love blossomed. The encounter with the giants of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona was electrifying. From that moment on, every journey became an opportunity to bring back seeds and cuttings, fragments of those distant worlds. During his travels, a dream sprouted: to create a place where the collection could tell its story. In 2000, almost by fate, the opportunity arose: an old sick vineyard, facing the family residence, was put up for sale. After about five years of work, on September 15, 2005, the Ravino Gardens were inaugurated, opening to the public on April 1, 2006.