convent stays in Italy
 

Hi everyone! I am looking for recommendations of convent stays in any of the following cities/towns (would prefer there to be singles and doubles offered, bathroom included with possibly one or two rooms with view):

Rome
Florence
Siena
Naples
Capri (?)

Other cheap accomodation options ($20-40) (i.e b&b's or pensiones are also welcomed)...

Thanks!
Patricia

I just watched Globe Trekker last night, and they featured a convent in Naples which was very clean & had it's own bathroom. I still have it recorded on tivo, so I will try to get back to you with the name.

Thanks awbaker. That'd be great!

P

It was the St. Joan of Arc convent. I think they only rent out rooms during the summer holiday.

I stumbled on this listing a few days ago, and while it is not convents, you may find something of interest to you. On eurocheapo.com choose any of the Italian cities listed, then on the lower right side of the screen under "More Help" the first line is "Youth hostels in (city)". That brings up a screen titled "hostel bookings and cheap hotels throughout Europe" and many of the listings there are budget B&Bs, hotels, pensiones, etc. Some of them have reviews on tripadvisor.com. If you find something of interest there, maybe somebody here will have a rec. Example: Ira faithfully recommends B&B Peterson in Florence, and they are listed there.

Good luck.

You did not mention Venice, but just in case you head that way Ostello Santa Fosca is in a convent and it is a great place to stay :-) Very inexpensive too.

Excellent position has the so called CASA DI SANTA BRIGIDA, ran by Brigidine sisters. It is right in the heart of Rome, their email is [email protected].
There is also CASA BONUS PASTOR which is semicentral, it is on Via Aurelia 208, but they are connected by bus. Mario Ciotti works at the reception ([email protected]) and they answer pretty quickly.
These are the 2 convent hotels that I know in Rome, actually the latter might not be ran by religious, but the former definitely yes.
If the Brigidine don't answer the email try to call them:
011-39-06-68892596

Question about convent stays: you can only be a single traveler, or married, but you cannot stay in a convent as an unmarried couple, correct? And do you have to show some sort of proof that you are married?

check out the book "Bed and Blessings" Lists many convents for overnight stays in Italy, by city.
We stayed at one in Sienna. Clean and comfortable, and much like a family run hotel, with nuns behind the main desk.

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I love the book "Bed and Blessings" and am trying to obtain a copy. Any other recommendations would greatly be appreciated! Especially those for convents in Siena. Also anyone know of a convent (esp Siena) which has a piano that guests could practice on(or any churches too)

Thanks again!
Patricia

We stayed at Fraterna Domus near Piazza Navona in Rome. While we were there, a brass octette from the University of Alaska stayed there, too. They were on a concert tour of Italy. We had a wonderful time listening to them practice in the beautiful 1000 year old church attached to the convent. I imagine you could email any of the convents and ask for permission to practice the piano there. The sister there are so pleasant that I imagine they would let you practice, especially if you brought them a bouquet of flowers as a thank you.

In looking for a book, I often try
www.half.com
people selling used books. I've even sold a few on the site. It is part of eBay

I second Fraterna Domus. Great place, we paid 72 or 78E for a double w/bathroom. Very clean. I have their email address if you need it. Sister Milena is the only one who speaks English.

But do they allow non-married couples to stay there, is my question.

I've asked that question before and never gotten a answer. I would just hate to be turned away and have no reservation whatsoever. I'm just wondering about asking outright when making the reservation and offering to take 2 singles, but I almost feel like the less explanation the better.

Thanks everyone for all the great tips! I am certainly going to check these out, esp Fraterna Domus in Rome and Casa Santa Brigida...unfortunately,Texas Aggie, I probably won't get to Venice on this trip :( (although I will hopefully someday).

Does anyone know of more convents in Siena? I will stay here longer and I will probably need to have access to a piano to practice on. Can anyone recommend?

Thanks!
Patricia

Also try Bestbookbuys.com, it will access about 100 different on line book shops (new and used) and will compare prices, shipping and handling and it's a great way to get the best price on a book, especially out of stock or older printed books. Good Luck!

Julie

I've just written some comments about a recent stay at Fraterna Domus. They are not entirely positive.

http://fodors.com/forums/pgMessages....=7&start=0

I stayed at the Convent of St Cecilia in Trastevere, Rome in 2001. It was recommended to my by a friend who found it in the Bed and Blessings book. It was withing walking distance of most of the sites, except the Vatican, where we took a taxi.

It was very convenient, and while not posh, it was confortable and had a charming courtyard. One of the best things about it was that the man at the reception desk gave us excellent restaurant recommendations (D'Enzo was the, best, just a block down the street). I loved the neighborhood and will definately consider staying there when we return.

Although I am married, I do not share my husband's last name, they never asked us if we were married and we certainly didn't have to show any proof, so I imagine you won't have a problem.

I did a lot of research last year on convents in Italy. We stayed at:
Suore De S. Elisabetta (St. Elizabeth Convent)
Via Dell' Olmata, 9
00184 Roma
Phone: 011 39 06 488-8271
Fax: 011 39 06 488-4066
email: [email protected]
It was close to the train station, quiet and clean and no one asked whether we were married or not.

Here are some book and web site listings and info out of newspaper articles specifically on convent/monasteries or


http://www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html


Bed and Blessings Italy: A Guide to Convents and Monasteries Available for Overnight Lodging
by June Walsh, Anne Walsh

The guide to lodging in Italy's monasteries : inexpensive accommodations, remarkable historic buildings, unforgettable settings /
by Barish, Eileen.



Alma Domes, Via Camporegio 37, Siena; 39-577-44177. Rate is $46 for a double, breakfast is an extra $5 per personl Reservations can be made by fax 011-39-577-4760. They do have private rooms with baths. Have about 30 rooms. Some of the rooms have balconies with marvelous views of the Duomo, Has lots of ambience, but get there early in the day to get a room!

Casa di Santa Brigida, Piazza Farnese 96, Rome; 39-6-6889-2497. Guest house entrance on Via Monserrato 54. Reservations can be guaranteed in advance with a credit card. The rate is $71 per person, including breakfast. Reservations should be made far in advance. The beauty of this convent and its Brigittine sisters, who have a reputation for kindness, help account for its popularity. It's located near the Pantheon and opposite the Palazzo Farnese. Some of the sisters speak English. Rooms have telephones and private baths.

Fraterna DOmus, Via Monte Brianzo 62, Rome; 39-6-688-02727. Singles with bath cost about $32 and without bath $27; doubles with a bath $59. Lunch or dinner an extra $10 per person. There is an 11 pm curfew. Location is between the Piazza Navona and the Tiber River, easy walk to the Vatican, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and other sites. The clientele are from all over the world.

Signora di Lourdes, Via Sistina 113, Rome; 39-6-4745-324. Pay in Italian lire only. The cost is about $59 for a double with bath. Reservations should be made far in advance.

San Giuseppe della Montagna, VIale Vaticano 88, Rome; 39-6-3972-3807. Cash and credit cards are accepted. The rate is about $28 per person, including breakfast.

Seminario Sant'Andrea, Viale Vittorio Veneto 2, Volterra; 39-588-86028. Rooms with baths cost $20 per person; those without are $16 per person. Attractive and pleasant, it has 30 rooms. A five-minute walk from the town center, the convent has large, quiet rooms that open off wide hallways adorned with frescoes.

Istituto San Giuseppe, Ponte della Guerra, Castello, Venice; 011-39-41-522-5352. Price $22 per person per night. A convent guest house open year-round in the Castello quarter, close by the Piazza San Marco. There is no sign, nothing to tell a passerby it took in lodgers. No English spoken. It has 15 rooms all with private baths. No meals are served. Curfew is 11 pm. Rooms fairly modern. five short blocks of St. Marks Sq.


Il Rosario convent -- Near the Colosseum, it has 40 single and double rooms, some with private baths, for about $32 per person per night. A nun knocks on your bedroom door for a wake-up call, and breakfast is in a cafeteria-style dining hall. You may hand-wash laundry and hang it to dry on the rooftop terrace. Address: Via Sant'Agata dei Goti 10. Telephone/fax: (39-6) 679-2346.

San Francesco convent -- Run by a Franciscan order headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y., it offers 16 single and double rooms with shared baths, about $30 per person per night. There is no curfew. A rooftop terrace with garden tables and chairs looks over the Vatican walls onto the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Address: Via Niccolo V 35. Telephone/fax: (39-6) 393-665-31.

Our Lady of Atonement convent -- A 10-minute walk from St. Peter's Basilica, it has 25 double rooms and breakfast, for about $27 per person. Lunch and dinner, optional, are another $9 for each meal. Address: Via Monte del Gallo 105. Telephone: (39-6) 630-782; fax: (39-6) 638-6149.

Santa Francesca Romana convent -- In Rome's lively Trastevere district, it offers rooms with private baths for about $47 for a single and $68 for a double. Rooms with shared baths are less. Address: Via dei Vascellari 61. Telephone/fax: (39-6) 583-5797.

Casa Dell'Emmanuel -- Near Rome's Termini train station, it is about $23.50, including breakfast and lunch, for a double room. Toilets are in the hall, and showers are all on the first floor. Address: Via Mecenate 37. Telephone: (39-6) 486-880; fax: (39-6) 487-2744.

The Madonna Del Divino Amore convent -- Part of a popular shrine on Rome's southern outskirts, it is a 30-minute bus ride from central Rome. It is built around an 18th-century church and can house up to 180 guests. A single room with private bath is about $53, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. A single without meals, $41. There are two chapels, a conference hall, a soccer field, restaurant and parking. Address: Via Ardeatina 12. Telephone/fax: (39-6) 713-533-90.

More information on lodgings in convents and monasteries in Rome and throughout Italy is available through: CITS, Viale del Monte Oppio, 30 00184 Roma. Telephone: (39-6) 487-3145 or (39-6) 474-4090; fax: (39-6) 474-4432.