Here we are: while it is snowing in Naples, we try to warm your heart by anticipating a tourist destination suitable for spring, when it will come ... We are talking about Valva, a town in the province of Salerno, reachable by the Mediterranean motorway (Contursi Terme exit) and then by the Ofantina highway, towards Lioni (Colliano - Valva exit). In particular, the attraction we want to point out is the Villa d'Ayala, built at the end of the 18th century by a descendant of the Norman Gozzolino feudal lord, the Marquis Giuseppe Maria Valva, who wanted to erect a building for holidays. On the death of the Marquis Giuseppe Maria Valva in 1831, the villa passed by marriage to the Ayala family, closely linked to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. In 1959 the last of the Ayala, Giuseppe, in the absence of direct heirs, wanted to donate the villa and all the properties to the Knightly Order to which he belonged. The Villa d'Ayala, known as the Castle, has a planimetric development of about 600 square meters and embraces the tower and the adjoining internal courtyard; the Park of the Villa, which is accessed from the valley, near the town center, extends for a size of between 17 and 18 hectares and is entirely surrounded by walls. The park is characterized by a few green episodes, where the strongest trace of human intervention emerges, which are basically the two Italian gardens, the one near the entrance and the one pertaining to the Castle, and the Teatrino di Verzura. The reference websites are: villadayala.altervista.org and http://ambientesa.beniculturali.it/BAP/?q=luoghi The visit to the Villa is possible by making an appointment with the guide (contact details are on the first website); by specifying our condition of motion disability, we will obtain authorization to enter the park by car (there is a long uphill road to do). We will be able to park in the courtyard in front of the villa, of which we will visit the garden and the ground floor; the green theater and some caves adorned with statues with a classical imprint are also accessible. Here are some pictures of the park and the villa: the entrance:
the Teatrino di Verzura, with busts arranged as if they were spectators:
the paths and statues of the park:
the Castle and its garden:
the caves with the statues:
As for lunch, it must be said that Valva was home to one of the best restaurants in Campania, the Osteria Arbustico, which however recently closed and moved to Paestum; then we suggest a farmhouse that meets our requirements, located in a nearby town: La Tempa (*): Contrada Cannitiello, Oliveto Citra +39 338 5820766 www.agriturismolatempa.it (*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for the disabled