Other Buildings

( Originally Published 1909 )

THE ancient see of Ravello was directly subject to Rome, and independent of the Metropolitan of Amalfi.

This privilege was owed to Robert Guiscard, who exercised his influence with the papal see to obtain it as an acknowledgment of services rendered to the Normans by the Ravellese. But it was only granted in 1086, the year after Guiscard's death, by a Bull of Pope Victor III. Five hundred years later in 1603, when the sees of Ravello and Scala were united the privilege was confirmed to them, but the joint sees were finally merged in the Archbishopric of Amalfi by effect of the Concordat of 1818.

A Benedictine monk, by name Orso Pappice, was consecrated first Bishop of Ravello.

From 1334 till 1747 the Bishop had the right of levying the first tax on fisheries, slaughter-houses, lime, and on all merchandise bought or sold.

By his "jus macelli" he received 15 grana on every ox, cow, or buffalo slaughtered ; to grana on a hog ; 40 danari on a sow, and 4 grana on a sheep, goat or lamb, provided they were killed for sale ; if, however, they were consumed by the owner, these dues were not exacted. By his " jus plateaticum" 15 grana were levied on everything bought or sold in market overt.

Of the fish caught in the little Bay of Castiglione (situated between Minori and Atrani, and still included in the territory of Ravello) a third part was daily to be sent to the Chapter, and one-tenth of the whole for the special use of the Bishop. The monopoly granted to Ravello of the right to dye all goods manufactured within the Duchy of Amalfi has been already referred to, and over this the Chapter had entire control. They farmed out the monopoly after 1294, obtaining on one occasion a rent of 8o ducats ; but in 1648 it was granted to Antonio de Augustino for only 15 ducats, so much had the trade deteriorated.

The materials stated to have been so dyed were cotton, fustian, and wool, and the work was carried on in immediate proximity to the Cathedral.

From 1292 to 1743 the Bishop received one-fifth of all bequests, except legacies for the maintenance of church services, and also one-fourth of moneys left for the support of mendicant friars ; he had the right to make wills for those who had died intestate, but in 1641 Monsignor Puccitelli acceded to a petition for the abolition of this privilege.

Camera gives the population of Ravello in the eleventh century as 36,000, with 13 parishes, of which that called Toro was, from its position and historical associations, the most important.

The small Piazza-del Toro is now grass-grown, and only interesting for the ancient palaces that surround it, and for the church of San Giovanni del Toro, " Caput et Mater aliarum ecclesiarum parochialium civitatis." Situated on the highest ground within the walls, it was fortified at an early date to protect the settlement on the projecting hill of Torella beneath.

This was the spot where, in the year 1081, when, during Robert Guiscard's absence in the East, Amalfi attempted to throw off the Norman yoke, the Ravellese asserted their fidelity to Roger " Borsa," Guiscard's son, whom he had some ten years earlier associated with himself in the Duchy of Amalfi.

The nobles living in this quarter held them-selves exclusively apart from their inferiors, and, favoured by Charles of Anjou, they formed them-selves into a sedile di Nobiltà at the end of the thirteenth century, to consist solely of the aristocracy of Ravello, until in the sixteenth century, per favoritismo, certain members of the neighbouring families were admitted. They chose the Syndic, Treasurer, and two Eletti from their number, and laid heavy ducal and communal imposts upon the citizens, who in their turn assembled in the porch of Sant' Adiutore, now destroyed, in the Piazza below, and chose from their own body the Syndic and other officials, who were empowered to demand equal taxes from the nobles and plebeians. After a long conflict between the contending parties, an agreement was drawn up in 1544 compromising the disputed points, by which time many of the ancient families had left the city, and emigrated to other parts.

Of this exclusive and aristocratic quarter Dr. Pansa writes : " In this place, surrounded by strong walls, the nobles decided to dwell, and built themselves sumptuous palaces, calling the place the Toro, which is a marvel to behold, being situated in the centre of the city of Ravello in an elevated position and strongly fortified. One Doge of Amalfi gave permission for a church to be built for the inhabitants of the Toro, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the most beautiful seen within many hours' journey along our coast." This description of the strong position of the Toro will be confirmed by the view from the d' Afflitto vineyard, entered by a flight of steps near the church. From the belvedere overlooking the Piazza we face the Castle, and see the mediaeval street winding to the foot of the hill, while on either hand the deep valleys of the Dragone and of the stream which issues at Minori define the limits of Ravello. Although the ground has been made less precipitous by terraced vineyards and the levelling effect of time, we gain a distinct impression of the strength of the city's position, and ask ourselves in vain, how it was possible to transport the marble columns up the narrow streets of stairs, whose width in many cases did not equal the height of these pillars, although no trace exists of any easier means of access.

San Giovanni del Toro ranks in artistic interest next to the Cathedral. But for a successful effort made in 1881 to obtain the aid of the Government for the preservation of the pulpit, the interior of this church would have shared the decay of the outer walls ; and with this exception the whole building threatens to become a ruin.

In striking contrast to its present condition are the pomp of its early consecration in 1o69 and the glowing references made to the church in subsequent ages. The portico over the west entrance has disappeared, and nothing in the exterior calls for our notice, except a few marble steps, broken pillars (some from St. Eustace), and traces of fresco painting over the door. The capitals of the granite columns supporting the interior differ from each other in design. The chapel on the left was dedicated to St. Nicholas by the Frezza family. A stone near shows a small figure holding a hawk on his fist, and a dog eating a bird. To the right of the entrance is a Roman sarcophagus. The marble altars have been removed, and no chapels of interest remain.

The beautiful pulpit was the gift of the Bovio family ; and their arms, two golden bulls in mosaic on a graceful groundwork of trefoils, are in good preservation. The bases of the four supporting pillars represent fish or marine monsters in the act of swimming away lions clinging to a rock ; while on each of the most ornate capitals are a bull eating a leaf, a bearded man resting his hands on his knees, a bird holding a snake, and a boy riding an ostrich.

The body of the pulpit is covered with mosaics differing in design from those in the Cathedral, the principal one being Jonah emerging from the fish's mouth. The reading desk is supported by an eagle holding open the Gospel of St. John inscribed with these words " In principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum."

The insertion of entire plaques of oriental pottery in this pulpit is of great interest, and is said to be a unique instance' of that method of decoration. Arabic letters are distinctly visible on them, and if the theory be correct that the brilliant mosaic was chiefly formed of pieces of lustrous Saracenic ware, these entire plaques are probably the very material that used to be broken up to make the mosaic.

A candlestick of marble and mosaic is surrounded by figures of three priests, one bearing a roll, another a book, and the third a censer. A fresco on the side of the staircase represents our Lord appearing to Mary after His Resurrection ; in a niche beneath the pulpit is the Saviour between the two Marys; while on the left-hand wall is the Angel of the Annunciation, and on the right the Virgin ; above these is God the Father as an aged man, and to His left a dove signifying the procession of the Holy Spirit.

Traces of good fresco painting may still be seen upon the belfry stair, near which is said to have been a chapel dedicated by the Coppola family to St. Catherine, and also a relief of the Nativity.

In 1895 a figure was discovered built up within a niche in the wall, having a wheel on either side, representing the Saint. The statue, carved in yellow stone in high relief, has a singularly dignified and graceful attitude, as the right hand rests on the wheel, while the dress and headgear suggest the figure of a lady of the time, rather than the conventional ecclesiastical form usually adopted for a saint. Fragments of worked stone lie among the rubbish, the largest being a hand and arm in relief. The crypt has at one time been richly decorated, but neglect and exposure have loosened the plaster, and there only remain a large figure of the Saviour on the ceiling of an apse, part of a bishop's figure on the left wall, and two female figures on the right. There were formerly nine bishops, a group of virgins, and a choir of angels with the Pironto arms. A bell dated 1333 was early in this century recast for the Cathedral belfry.

Opposite S. Giovanni del Toro is the Palazzo d' Afflitto, now Hôtel Belvedere. The marbles of the entrance and court were brought from St. Eustace, on the opposite side of the valley. Various fragments have been pieced together for the purpose, of which the most interesting are the Sibyl and the Prophet, on either side of the entrance.

From the vineyard a comprehensive view ex-tends over Minori and the higher valley of the Dragone.

The Palazzo Confalone, now also an hotel, is still owned by the family whose name is inscribed with others on the roll of nobles who, in the fifteenth century, went to live in Naples.

The medieval-looking street passes between the Confalone Palazzo and Casa Sasso, the latter a shapeless mass of building, formerly inhabited by the Sasso family, of whom there is a tomb in the Monastery of Sant' Antonio. Another record of the family exists in the church of San Pietro di Castagna, which contains a statue of St. Michael with the Sasso arms quartered on the shield borne by the Saint, while at the foot is " Pauli de Sasso, 1558."

The causes of the ruin of so many noble buildings are not altogether clear. References are made to subsidence of the coast during the thirteenth century and to the disastrous effect of certain storms, particularly the great storm and inundation1 that in 1343 engulfed two-thirds of Amalfi, together with the beach between that city and its dependent towns on the coast, the landing places, arsenals and buildings on the shore, not only destroying these signs of commerce, but making it impossible for ships to anchor with safety from storm or wind.

But the most efficient and prolonged factor of destruction was probably neglect by owners no longer resident, whose fortunes dwindled through their own extravagant life in the neighbouring capital, as well as in consequence of the reversal of those general economic conditions which had led to the previous prosperity of the city. Neglect is swiftly followed by decay when buildings are constructed of rubble-stone bound by a mortar and covered by a plaster neither of which has the power of resisting the frosts that occur every winter at the height of Ravello.

Before the close of the fifteenth century nearly all the nobles went to dwell in Naples, with which city they were more closely connected, after Amalfi had ceased to be a maritime power; and in 1656 occurred the plague, which carried off great numbers of the inhabitants. In Naples the nobles of Scala and Ravello lived apart from the Neapolitan aristocracy, forming an exclusive society, and many churches in the older part of the city contain their tombs, with inscriptions bearing reference to the neighbourhood from whence they had emigrated.

The oldest ecclesiastical foundation was the Benedictine convent of La Trinità, founded in 944 by Leone Rogadeo for ladies of noble birth, reserving to the founder and his heirs the right to appoint the Abbess. Suppressed in 1807, it is now a complete ruin, the more useful stones having been removed to the church of Torella.

Sant' Antonio, a Franciscan monastery, now the seat of the Municipality, contains the public schools of the Commune.

The cloistered court is interesting, and the chapel contains the locally venerated tomb of the beatified Bonaventura of Potenza, whose body until lately rested in an ancient sarcophagus inscribed "Dominara Florenim Luxurius Maritus," originally in San Giovanni del Toro.

This monastery was built on the foundation of an older church.

It was first suppressed in 1652, again at the time of the concordat of 1818, and finally after the formation of United Italy.

The nunnery of Santa Chiara was endowed by Filippo Pironto in the year 1333, and was sacked by the Pisan army in 1397.