Coral Museum (Museo del Corallo)
This tiny museum in the center of the picturesque clifftop village of Ravello is home to a small but delightful collection of coral jewelry and objets d’art. Visitors can learn about the 500-year-old history of coral crafting on the Amalfi Coast and coral’s importance as a symbol of good fortune.
The Basics
The Coral Museum offers a glimpse into one of the most storied and culturally significant artisan industries in southern Italy: coral crafting. Learn about the coral harvest off the coastline of Campania and Sardinia and how this “red gold” is made into jewelry, cameos, and sculptures that are said to bring health and fortune. Stop in this museum while touring Ravello’s villas and churches on your own or as part of an all-day Amalfi Coast tour from Naples, Sorrento, or Salerno.
Things to Know Before You Go
The museum is set behind a small shop where you can purchase hand-crafted coral cameos and jewelry as well as good-luck charms and other pieces.
Museum admission is free.
The museum is accessible to wheelchair users.
When visiting Ravello, you’ll want to wear a hat and sunscreen as you will be outside for much of the day.
How to Get to There
The Coral Museum is on Piazza Duomo, the main square in Ravello, a clifftop town that can only be reached by car or bus from Salerno, Sorrento, or other towns along the coast. Ferries also run from Sorrento to Amalfi, where buses connect to Ravello. Guided tours usually include round-trip transportation.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The Coral Museum is open Monday through Thursday, from 10am to 12pm. Ravello can be crowded in the summer, and many of the restaurants, shops, and other businesses close in winter. The best time to visit is in the spring or fall, when the town is lively but less crowded.
The Master Artisan Behind the Coral Museum
The coral museum was founded in 1986 by Giorgio Filocamo, a descendant of many generations of coral artisans who amassed the museum’s collection and also made many of the pieces on display. The museum is housed in the back of his family’s historic shop, and most days you can watch Giorgio in his workshop. If you are lucky, he might take you around the museum personally and point out his family heirlooms and the highlights of the collection.
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- Ravello
- Emerald Grotto (Grotta dello Smeraldo)
- Praiano
- Spaggia Grande Beach
- Mt. Faito (Monte Faito)
- Correale di Terranova Museum (Museo Correale di Terranova)
- Piazza Tasso
- Sorrento St. Anthony Basilica (Basilica di Sant’Antonino)
- Cloister of San Francesco (Chiostro di San Francesco)
- Tasso Theater (Teatro Tasso)
- Sorrento Foundation (Fondazione Sorrento)
- Via Capo
- Punta del Capo
- Baths of the Queen Giovanna (Bagni della Regina Giovanna)
- Mt. Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio)