We were intrigued to read recently - on Mary Jane Cryan's
50 Years In Italy blog - about Cryan's students' experiences living in what most Romans refer to as the Borromini monastery in Trastevere. We've written about
her books on Etruria, and it's fun to read about her impressions of Rome.
We used to slip into the monastery to show the distinctive building to visitors. But then it was taken over by a luxury hotel operator, and now is simply that - a luxury hotel. You can peek your head inside, but you can't go as far in, or see as much, as in the "good old days." We knew guests could stay in the monastery before it became a hotel, but we hadn't realized it was used for students staying for longer terms. Cryan's - and her students' - experiences, photos, and documents show us what used to be there - a real treat.
Cryan begins with the ad for what the monastery is now - the deluxe hotel, and the rest of this post is from her blog posting which we print here with her permission:
Designed by Baroque architect Borromini, the Donna Camilla Savelli is a former monastery in Rome's popular Trastevere area. It offers a garden, elegant and sober rooms, and free Wi-Fi in the lobby.
This is the website description of a 4 star hotel located at the foot of the Janiculum hill in Rome’s Trastevere area .
For many lucky American students studying in Rome during the 1980s it was home during their semester study abroad program.
 |
| Borromini designed the facade of the monastery |
The female students were “cloistered” on the first floor while the men were relegated to the second floor corridor. There were communal bathrooms back then and the ancient heating system was seldom lukewarm. To survive the chill, the students bundled up with thick sweaters or sat in the sunshine of the courtyard garden where roses bloomed even in December.
The atmosphere at the convent was often similar to a Fellini film set : Gina, the grumpy portinaia, elderly nuns gliding silently along white and black marble hallways, meals served in the frescoed refectory, cavernous kitchens hung with bright copper pots and sitting rooms furnished with antiques including Pope Pius IX’s armchair.
 |
| copper pots in the convent kitchen |
 |
marble fountain
near the refectory |
The sisters of the religious order were grateful for the money which arrived from America and used it to repair parts of the roof.
 |
| the convent today - an expensive 4 star hotel |
Here are some of the original letters with the price list for bed and breakfast....a far cry from what today's clients pay to stay in the luxurious modern rooms of the former monastery.
How times have changed! Notice that IVA tax was only 9 or 10%.
What could you buy for the equivalent of 26 or 28,000 lire today? (approximately 14-16 euro)
The convent was founded by Donna Camilla Savelli (related to the Ruspoli-Marescottifamily) and has had an interesting history culminating in its new use as a luxury hotel.
During World War II many Roman Jewish families found refuge here and the sisters distributed bread and food to the local population from the monastery kitchens.
.jpg)
Of course, we think Modern Rome is equally useful in print and eBook versions, and we very much support small independent bookstores, like Almost Corner Bookshop and Anglo American in Rome. At the same time, it's wonderful to have independent confirmation of Modern Rome's excellence, in either version.
