Church of San Giovanni del Toro
The name gives away its address: San Giovanni del Toro stands in what was once Ravello's aristocratic quarter, Il Toro, and the families who built it — Rogadeo, Pironti, Muscettola — were exactly the kind of people who wanted a church within walking distance of their own front doors. The facade is plain gabled stone, almost severe, with a two-storey bell tower in Arab-Sicilian style that hints at the cultural crosscurrents running through 11th-century southern Italy.
Step inside and the thing that stops you is the pulpit. Carved around 1200–1230, it carries mosaics depicting the prophet Jonah and a sea monster, twenty-one majolica basins of Arab origin set into its surface, and an eagle holding open the Gospel of John. M.C. Escher came to Ravello in the 1920s and studied these interlocking patterns closely — the geometry here fed directly into his later work.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who make it inside tend to linger near the glass floor panel, which looks down onto structural remains from earlier occupation. The crypt is worth asking about specifically — three apses, frescoed with Christ between saints, and quiet in a way the nave rarely is. Come in the morning if the church is open at all.
The story behind Church of San Giovanni del Toro
The church was founded between 975 and 1018 by three of Ravello's leading noble families, and consecrated in the 11th century. It served as the spiritual anchor of Il Toro, the quarter where the town's aristocracy lived and conducted business. A re-consecration by Bishop Pietro di Durazzo in 1276 marked a significant moment in its medieval life.
By the 1880s the building had deteriorated enough that government intervention was needed to prevent its collapse. An earthquake had already forced a restoration in 1715, and further work followed in the 1990s. The pulpit, crafted by Alfano da Termoli and incorporating bacini — decorative ceramic basins imported from Raqqa — survived these upheavals largely intact, along with 13th- and 14th-century frescoes and a Roman sarcophagus dating to the 3rd century AD in the right nave.
Good to know
Access is unreliable: in winter the church opens on request through the Cathedral (Duomo di Ravello, a short walk away); in summer hours are sporadic, typically mornings. Your best fallback is to knock at Via San Giovanni del Toro 50. No admission fee is charged. From Amalfi, the local bus costs €1.40.
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What travellers say about Church of San Giovanni del Toro
Nice little church in Ravello in front of the Belmond Caruso hotel. Free to enter. Donations optional. Glass floor showing the old church ruins.
Part of floor inside is glass to reveal what's under the church - very unique! Worth a look, and a nice walk to get there. Check out the old organ!
Beautiful rustic church on top of Ravello. My brother got married here last week & stunning altar.
Ravello captivates with its spectacular views of the Amalfi Coast, its elegant gardens, and its historic architecture. Strolling through the village's narrow streets, you'll experience a unique atmosphere, where art, nature, and culture blend harmoniously, offering visitors unforgettable experiences.
The church where the nobility of medieval Ravello gathered. The church's façade is very simple, shaped like a hut, with the bell tower to the left. It is open upon request.
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