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The world is full of fascinating ancient sites, and some of them have been converted into boutique hotels. History-loving guests will enjoy a dose of pampering along with up-close exposure to culture, architecture, and artifacts.
Florence
Nestled on a hilltop near Florence, a former monastery with an extraordinary art pedigree (the facade is attributed to Michelangelo) is now a boutique hotel called Villa San Michele.
The Davanzati family donated the land to a community of Franciscan monks in the 14th century. The family renovated the property in 1600 and several renowned artists contributed to the effort.
Painter Santi di Tito designed the masonry, and the facade's embellishments are the work of famed stone-cutter Romolo Ferrucci. Nicodemo Ferrucci's Last Supper fresco graces the walls of the Cenacolo Room. There are many other frescoes, paintings, and modern artistic treasures to discover around the property.
Napolean Bonaparte used the building as his headquarters for a time before dissolving France's monastic orders in 1808. Though declared a national monument in 1896, the villa's exterior decayed over the years. The property has been restored as a 45-room luxury hotel.
The villa is tucked among forests, olive groves, and terraced gardens. Visitors pass between two ancient columns when entering the grounds and follow a winding road to reach the former chapel, which serves as the hotel lobby.
When not exploring Florence, guests can enjoy gardens bursting with lemon trees and fragrant roses, hone their culinary skills in the Cookery School, or savor superb Tuscan cuisine on the alfresco loggia.
Sicily
Sunny and picturesque Taormina is known as "the pearl of the Mediterranean." Perched on a rocky promontory in northeastern Sicily, Taormina has drawn tourists to its shores for centuries.
The city was founded in 392 BC and was a coveted territory because of its location along Mediterranean trade routes. The Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, German, French, and Spanish occupied Taormina over time. The influences of these diverse cultures are evident everywhere you look.
The first hotel built in Taormina, the Grand Hotel Timeo, is situated in the shadow of Mt Etna next to a 3000-year-old amphitheater. Artist Otto Geleng's watercolor paintings of Sicily's spectacular views and Taormina's Greek Colonial ruins were a mainland sensation in 1872.
Visitors flocked to the guesthouse, which served as Geleng's studio, and owner Don Francesco La Floresta decided to convert his private home into a hotel shortly after that.
Over its 150-year history, Grand Hotel Timeo's famous guests included authors D.H. Lawrence and Tennessee Williams and Hollywood elites like Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren.
Today, guests bask in manicured gardens, savor magnificent regional cuisine, and enjoy spectacular views of Mt Etna from the Literary Terrace.
Amalfi Coast
Built as a palace for a wealthy Roman family in the 11th century, the Hotel Caruso in Ravello was named Palazzo D'Afflito, or "the afflicted." The name referred both to a shipwreck the family endured when traveling to Constantinople and to the sufferings of a family martyr named Eustachio.
Set on a natural limestone balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the hotel was nearly destroyed in power struggles over the peninsula in the early 16th century.
In 1893, Pantaleone Caruso and his wife Emilia Cicalese opened the "Pensione Belvedere" using just five rooms of the enormous estate. The hotel grew in popularity, hosting the likes of Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, Humphrey Bogart, and Jackie Kennedy.
All fifty rooms in the boutique hotel have been carefully restored, boasting hand-crafted terracotta floors, neo-classical antiques, paintings by old masters, and stunning coastline vistas.
Guests stroll through terraced gardens, lounge beside the infinity pool, or take in nearby Positano, surrounded by a world of culture, heritage, and beauty.
Ready to explore Italy's historical hotels? Contact Grand Journey's Travel to start planning.
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