10291 Blessed B & B

An interesting alternative, when trying to find accommodation in Italy, is to stay at a convent, monastery or seminary. The decline in the number of vocations and the need for survival of the different religious orders who need to maintain very large and expensive buildings has been the cause of this alternative form of accommodation which is becoming increasingly popular.
You do not need to be a Catholic to stay in one of these buildings, you get a good, simple B & B in generally beautiful surroundings which are also very peaceful and they are many times very well located. There is a curfew, generally towards 11 pm but this may not be a big problem for many people.
There are guides that you can purchase with full lists of what is available, see:
[url=http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0207/ladolcevita.shtml]Staying in Monasteries and Convents in Italy[/url]
and you can also google to get information. You will find plenty of sites giving it.
I have a few cousins who use them regularly, single ladies who do not like to go to the average hotel and they say that they are great.
Worth a try!

Category
Travel & Holiday Advice

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 04:20

Didn't think of doing this Gala and yes it does sound wonderful. Thank you.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 08:32

hi Gala
I'm planning a holiday to Italy and found this good site about monasteries and convents [URL="http://www.monasterystays.com"]Monastery Stays - Italy Accommodation - Convent Lodging[/URL]. It's an on-line service with lots of monasteries all over Italy. Probably easier than trying to do it yourself and they seem reputable. There are comments from customers on the site. I'd recommend checking it it out

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 08:38

One thing perhaps worth considering, that is to look up and approach places directly rather than through an accommodation website. This way will be cheaper. Same goes for hotels and ordinary b+bs.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 09:01

Hi Sally
I've got a bit of time to try and find places but I don't speak or write Italian which is how I suppose the monasteries want to communicate. I've read "Bed And Blessings" at our library but it's pretty old and out of print. I might just settle for having someone do the bookings for me. At least on this site I can see what the places look like.