Staying in Convents
 

What is the take on staying in convents in Italy? Do the curfews cause problems? Are you made to feel welcome? I have had dinner at one in Rome and it seems very pleasant and spotless and am now considering staying in one. Would appreciate any first hand accounts. Thanks.

My only experience is staying at a convent for 4 nights in Siena last February . It was basic,clean, safe and good price. The nuns were more reserved than average hostellers,but not unkind. From the book "Bed and Blissing",the curfew time varies, some 10:30, some 11:30, since I don't stay out too late, it wasn't a problem.

I agree with Judy, a nice place to sleep if you are looking for no frills. Word of warning, they have very strict rules when it comes to sleeping arrangements. If you are traveling with a member of the opposite sex who is not your spouse, you can expect that they will seperate you for the night. We found them to be very warm and hospitable. I think it helps considerably if you speak Italian.

We'd love to give convents a try too. How do we go about finding them & contacting them?

Hi Rhonda, I looked up the web site listed here called www.slowtrav.com and came across www.santasusanna.org which has info on convents. <BR>Staying in a convent sounds pleasant to me, I just wonder if I will be running madly to make the curfew, and at my age!

Last March we stayed at the Alma Domas in Sienna and the Villa Rosanna in Levanto. Both were very nice and clean. My sister, who kept her last name, brought along a copy of her marriage license. One convent asked for proof the other did not. We got the names from the book "Bed and Blessings." Most convents have to be called and many who answer do not speak English. Luigi at the Alma Domas spoke very fine English and made the reservation for us without a deposit. The Villa Rosanna required a deposit so we sent a travelers check to cover it. Marilyn

we stayed at a few a couple years ago, and found it a mixed bag <BR>For instance, the one in a little town near pompeii was great, with comfortable rooms, very friendly people and wonderful homecooked meals complete with wine and shots of limoncello. <BR>Another one, on the amalfi coast, was just a big apartment and could have been anywhere. <BR>The curfew was not a problem as these were small towns and it was in the winter, but maybe in a bigger city I'd have had problems. <BR>We found them through two books, lodging in italy's monasteries and another one, bed and blessings. I think both have websites. <BR>Word of warning, it will help if you speak italian, as we found few sisters//monks who spoke much english. Speaking spanish was a bit of a help but not always. <BR>