Hello everyone - I've just joined up!
I have read the post from AllisonK about staying in convents in Rome, Florence and Venice - Allison, I would love to know if you were able to prebook the places you stayed in and if so, how did you find out about them? I love Italy and have youth hostelled there but would prefer to have a little more bedtime privacy without having to pay a fortune! Any advice you - or anyone else - can give me would be very much appreciated!
Grazie mille! Pam
[email protected]

Head to your library or bookstore and find Bed and Blessings Italy by June Walsh and Anne Walsh. A caveat, this book was published in 1999 and, as far as I know, has not been updated.

Also, look at the top of the page where you'll see a search box. Type <convents Italy> (without the arrow thingies) into that box and many posts from the archives will appear on the left hand side of the page. Scroll and read at your leisure. Welcome to Fodors!

Topping for Pammca, who may not know how to retrieve her posts.

Here's a link for convents in Italy
http://www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html

Hi Pammca -- Yes, I prebooked all of the convents in which I stayed. I scoured the <u>Bed and Blessings</u> book mentioned and also looked through <u>Lodging in Italy's Monasteries,</u> which was not quite as helpful. I also scoured the internet for information about the places I was interested in and found several email addresses. If I found an email address, I used it. If not, I sent a fax to the convent (and got abruptly awoken from sleep several nights when the convents sent faxes back to me). Most of the convents have someone who speaks English so it is generally okay to communicate that way.

Here is information from all the convents in which I stayed:

<u>Rome:</u>
<i>Casa Il Rosario (Istituto Il Rosario)</i>
[email protected]
Via Sant'Agata dei Goti, 10
00184 Roma
Tel: +39 06 679 2346
Fax: +39 06 69 94 1106
Curfew: 11:00pm

<i>Suore di Nostra Signora del Buon Soccorso</i>
Via degli Artisti, 38
00187 Roma
Tel: +39 06 488 5259
Curfew: 10:00pm

<u>Venice</u>
<i>Istituto Artigianelli</i>
[email protected]
http://www.spidernet.it/donorione/English/home.htm
Dorsoduro, 919
30123 Venezia
Tel: +39 041 522 4077
Fax: +39 041 528 6214
Curfew: 11:30pm

<u>Assisi</u>
<i>St. Anthony's Guesthouse</i>
[email protected]
http://www.prounione.urbe.it/fra-fri...stanthony.html
Via G. Alessi, 10
06081 Assisi
Tel: +39 075 812 542
Fax: +39 075 813 723
Curfew: flexible

<u>Siena</u>
<i>Hotel Alma Domus</i>
Via Camporegio, 37
53100 Siena
Tel: +39 0577 441 77
Fax: +39 0577 476 01
Curfew: 11:30pm

<u>Florence</u>
<i>Istituto Suore di Sant'Elizabetta</i>
[email protected]
Viale Michelangelo, 46
50125 Florence
Tel: +39 055 681 1884
Curfew: 10:00pm


I would not hesitate to stay again in any of these places. In fact, I will be staying in Casa Il Rosario again in April of this year. The combined location and price of Istituto Artigianelli can't be beat, right on the Zattere and not far from the Accademia bridge. St. Anthony's Guesthouse is run by American nuns so English is their native tongue. Their location is really good. I had a fantastic view of Santa Chiara from my window (well, of Santa Chiara and the cranes that were still reconstructing Assisi after the earthquake). They also have a nice terrace. Hotel Alma Domus was convenient both to the center of Siena and to the bus stop. Suore di Nostra Signora del Buon Soccorso has a good location very near to the Via Veneto and Via Sistina and the Spanish Steps. It was very convenient to get on the metro from Piazza Barberini. The nuns there do not really speak any english, however. One very friendly nun speaks a combination of French and Italian. I was able to get by on my limited italian. Istituto Suore di Sant'Elizabetta in Florence is a bit away from the very center of Florence, but Florence is so small it doesn't really matter. I loved their property and the location was beautiful.

I had ensuite bathrooms in Istituto Artigianelli, St. Anthony's, and Hotel Alma Domus, but used a bathroom off the hall in the other convents. I did find having to share a bathroom to be a problem as the rooms each had a sink and mirror for my use.

Hope this helps!
Allison

That last sentence should say &quot;I did NOT find having to share a bathroom to be a problem as the rooms each had a sink and mirror for my use.&quot;

Allison

If you would like to see some pictures that I took of the convents that I stayed at in Fall, 2002, check out this link: https://home.comcast.net/~allisonna/Italia%202002.htm

ttt

I too stayed in some of the mentioned convents in Rome. Also I stayed in one in Assisi and San Gimigiano. I found them to be clean and comfotable.

Is anyone failiar with convents in Bologna area?

Hi vhayes - I wish I knew of a convent in Bologna. I would love to spend a few nights there but I don't know the city well and am having difficulty finding suitable budget accommodations.

Thanks to everyone - esp Alison K - for your replies - all very helpful and all much appreciated!
Happy Travelling! Pam