karinw

We are leaving in about a month for three weeks in Italy with our first stop in Rome for 2 nights (certainly not as long as we would have liked but this trip is really about Tuscany). Thinking it might be fun to check out convent lodgings and knowing that Rome hotels in good locations can be expensive, we picked Fraterna Domus in Piazza Navona. We realize it is basic, etc. and I had read some posts that appeared complimentary but a recent one was QUITE BAD. Now I am nervous that our first few nights in Italy (with our two teenage girls for the first time) will be a big dissapointment! Any advice?

Eloise

I stayed at Fraterna Domus at the end of April. As you know, the location is excellent: very near to, but not quite in, Piazza Navona. The accommodations are basic but very clean -- I did read a recent post saying that the accommodations were not clean; on the basis of my experience, I have to disagree. The bathrooms are the kind where the shower flows directly down a drain in the floor, but there is ample hot water. The sisters are very friendly, but it is true that they speak very little English. Nonetheless, an American couple was there at the same time as I was; they were obviously staying there for the second or third time: they and the sister in charge greeted each other warmly, despite the language barrier. I would not recommend taking meals there; they are cheap, it is true (12 Euros), but they are not terribly good.

karinw

Eloise,
Thanks for the word of encouragement. Since you were just there any good tips on local restaurants, etc.? Also, we will pick up our rental car from AutoEurope (near Via Veneto office) and drive out of the city to Tuscany. Did you have any experience with this? I am wondering how easy it will be to pick up the car and get back to Fraterna Domus to pick up our luggage (and kids!). Thanks for any additional info.

Eloise

Karin, the two restaurants near Fraterna Domus that I ate at and can recommend are Orso 80 (via del Orso) and La Campana (vicolo della Campana, just off via della Scrofa). Orso 80's specialty is its antipasto; I was served 11 separate dishes, at least four of them warm (meatballs in sauce, beans in sauce, various grilled vegetables, various vegetables au gratin), all generous servings of which I could eat as much as I liked. With a litre (!) of white wine (I asked for a half, they broght me the whole, and I drank most of it), a litre of mineral water, a cake with "frutti di bosco" (raspberries, strawberries, etc.) and a coffee, the bill came to 27 Euros. They also offered me a grappa or a limoncello, which I had to decline.

My views with respect to Italian cooking are somewhat conservative, and La Campana has been serving traditional Roman cuisine for decades (if not centuries). I had fried zucchini flowers (filled with mozzarella and anchovy filets), grilled calf's liver (two generous slices without a bit of gristle), spinach al olio e limone (oil and lemon), fresh pineapple for dessert, a bottle of mineral water, a half-litre of white wine and a coffee. The bill was 30.50 Euros. La Campana can be very full in the evening; I had lunch there.

I also had an inexpensive and not particularly good meal at Da Mario alla Chiesa Nuova. If you don't mind being packed into a small room with only other tourists, while another room is reserved for locals, I suppose it's all right. They also serve pizza, which your teenage girls may like.

I'm afraid I can't be any help at all about getting back to Fraterna Domus from the via Veneto area; I don't drive and took taxis from and to Roma Termini.

Sally

We have stayed there twice, the last time in December for twelve nights. I don't think you will be disappointed at all. The rooms are basic but very clean. The sisters are lovely.

When we were there , I injured my back while walking on a dark cobblestone street. I could not have received better care any where. Sister Milena even took me to the emergency room in her car, and when I needed further medical care, she twice arranged for a doctor staying there to come to my room. While I was confined to my room for four days, the sisters provided all my meals.

Two of the four sisters speak some English, and one speaks excellent English.

Be sure to ask to see the beautiful 1000 year old chapel that the convent is built around. We enjoyed going to several masses there.

This convent is very popular with Europeans, and I think you and your girls will have a very European experience there.

If you are there on Sunday, it is quite an experience to eat Sunday dinner there after mass. It is a very nice meal, and lots of Italians in the neighborhood eat there.

As far as driving there , our Italian friend did drive there to pick us up, but my favorite way to rent a car is to go on the train to the charming town of Orvieto, an hour train ride away, and pick up the car there. Then you don't have to deal with the Roman traffic and confusing streets.

Be sure to eat antipasti at Orso 80( for 11 euro) just a couple of blocks away. It is an amazing meal!

karinw

I have heard a lot about Orso 80 so we will be sure to enjoy the antipasto there. Since we only have two nights, we'll plan for Orso 80 and let spontaneity take over for the other night!

Sally - I'm glad you were so well taken care of by the Sisters at Fraterna Domus. It must be difficult needing medical attention during a vacation and in a foreign city. I had thought about your advice of taking the train to Orvieto since our plan is to leave Rome and stop in Orvieto before driving on to our Villa near Cortona by 7:00 PM. I went back and forth on what to do but elected to pick the car up in Rome and drive ourselves to Orvieto. I have printed driving maps from www.viamichelin.com and have printed many tips on driving. I guess we consider this a part of the adventure. I think my husband has designated our 15 year old as the navigator so we shall see who is the driver.

So, with our few hours in Orvieto - what shall we do? I hear the ceramics are a good buy. Any must see attractions or great walks or people watching spots?

Eloise

Hello again, Karin,

You might want to post your questions about Orvieto in a separate message; most people will not connect a question about Fraterna Domus in Rome with a question about Orvieto.

As regards Orvieto, from my experience: Many years ago, there were dozens of ceramics shops; on my last visit last year, they were few and far between.

There is only one must-see, in my opinion: the Duomo (from the exterior) and, if you are into Italian art, the Signorelli chapel with rather grim images of death and the Last Judgment. However, your teenagers might enjoy the so-called "Pozzo di San Patrizio," a deep well with stairs going down one way and stairs coming up the other way in some complicated corkscrew pattern. Personally, I'm not very fond of stairs of any kind, so I gave it a miss.

Ira and other knowledgeable posters about Italy say that I Sette Consoli is one of the best restaurants in Italy and a must-do in Orvieto. (You can look up their posts by typing Orvieto and Sette Consoli into the "Search this forum" box.) I myself went to the Trattoria Etrusca not far from the Duomo and enjoyed it.

I arrived by train in Orvieto but the same might apply to arriving by car. Instead of driving up into the town and struggling in the narrow streets, it might be easier to park the car below the town and take the funicular up.

metellus

I stayed there 2 weeks ago. Thumbs down.

Don't know if the negative post was mine. Whether you consider what I said as quite bad is a matter of perspective. If you really just want a flop in a good location, then it might be suitable. If you are expecting anything more from a place to stay, then give it a miss. Believe me, you will not want to spend any time there to do anything but sleep.

It's probably a moot point anyway if you are leaving in 3 weeks - Fraterna Domus usually books up many months in advance. And since you have to pay cash up front, they don't get cancellations often.

Sally

You have to pay $100 deposit. I send $100 in travelers checks or a money order. No problem.

If you are looking for an Americanized place to stay , this is not it. If you wish an interesting peek into Italian life, you will enjoy your stay.

It is very popular, especially with Europeans, but I have booked a room with three weeks notice. Send an email and try.

barbmike

I stayed there over Easter Week and had a wonderful experience. I agree with everything Sally has posted. I merely sent them a $100 deposit and paid the balance with a credit card. The nuns are DELIGHTFUL!!! The place has a great location and ORSO 80 is a one minute walk away. I ate there three times and also agree with the previous posts on this place. Have a Great Trip and say hello to Sister Millena!!! Mike Borawski

metellus

"If you are looking for an Americanized place to stay , this is not it. If you wish an interesting peek into Italian life, you will enjoy your stay."

I find this post amusibg. Somehow you equate a large and attractive room with being "Americanized." That is very strange logic.

And I don't see how a tiny room with translates into an "interesting peek into Italian life. And exactly what Italian life do you see. There is a small reception area, your room. You are paying 78E for a room in an area where a relatively modest hotel is 160E. You get what you pay for. It's a simple as that. Attenpts to rationalize it as a cultural experience are absurd.

Reed181

Can someone tell me how to contact the convent??? And does anyone know what rates are for a double and/or a triple? IS it -- in your estimation -- a great location for walking? And safe?

THANKS SO MUCH!

nocinonut

I eat dinner at Fraterna Domus every time I am in Roma, the food is not inventive but I think it is prepared very well and served family style. My family and I end up meeting other diners as it is a relaxed atmosphere and the nuns are treat us warmly. Take a look at the chapel like Sally mentioned.

It is a safe area and to get into the convent you knock or ring the bell and you are watched by an overhead camera before you are rung inside, sometimes they talk to you on the speakerphone before they buzz you in. There is a curfew for overnighters.

Eloise

The e-mail address for Fraterna Domus is

[email protected]

The rate for a double seems, from the above messages, to be 78 Euro. A single is 48 euro. There are triples and even quads, I think, but I don't know the rates.

Fraterna Domus is very close to Piazza Navona in an area that is full of wonderful restaurants. It's within walking distance of almost anywhere you might want to go. The immediate area is as safe as the proverbial houses. (Which is not to say that some caution should not be exercised, as in any large city.)

karinw

I contacted Fraterna Domus about six months ago and sent a deposit (traveler's check was requested)of $100 to reserve a quad room. Our quoted rate is Euro 120 for bed and breakfast. Air conditioning is available for a Euro 10 daily supplement.

We will sure take advantage of the air conditioning though I hear many times the its not all that strong in Italian hotels. We'll see!

I corresponded with Sr. Milena who was referenced in the postings above. She does seem to be a lovely lady. Though we don't expect much from the room but a place to sleep I thought it could be fun to be in a convent and try out our limited, but hopefully growing, italian vocabulary. I don't think English is spoken too much there.

KarinW