Castle Hotels in Italy

With its northern end touching the Swiss Alps and its southern island of Sicily just across the water from Tunisia, Italy is a land of many cultures. Nowhere is this seen more than in its vast assortment of ancient castles, which range from Germanic to Norman to Moorish, with every other style in between. The best way to experience this cultural variety is to spend the night in some of these castles, which is easy to do, as many of them now house hotels. Here are a few of the best, listed by region.

Piedmont: Castello di Pavone

If you’re bored by the treadmill in your typical hotel gym, then try climbing the countless steps leading to the Tower Suite of the 14th-century Castello di Pavone. You will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Alps that you won’t soon forget. Now a four-star luxury hotel, Castello di Pavone was occupied by King Arduino, the Bishop of Ivrea, and the House of Savoy before becoming a hotel in the 20th century. Many of the castle’s features go back much further in time, like the Romanesque church in the inner courtyard, which was built in 850. So sit back and enjoy the Alpine views outside your guest room window and the vaulted or wood beamed ceiling inside. Authentic Piedmont cuisine awaits in the elegant, candlelit restaurant with its ancient frescos looking down on you from the walls. If you have a special event, the castle can host hundreds of guests in its convention facilities, and a stroll around the surrounding tropical garden is just the thing before heading off to bed. And all just 45 minutes from Torino.

Trentino-Alto Adige: Castel Rundegg

Heading east, the Hotel Castel Rundegg welcomes you to the year 1100. Though not much is known about the castle’s first few centuries, we do know that one owner was the Baron Parovicini, who was thrown out of the French army for dueling, and then lived to a ripe old 104 years. Unlike many of its massive stone counterparts, the Castel Rundegg is quite elegant, and the hotel’s current specialty is providing you with relaxation. A visit to the Castel Rundegg Health & Beauty Farm lets you take advantage of a heated swimming pool, a modern gym, a Turkish bath and many medieval saunas. Local specialties are served in the restaurant, along with fine wines, and you can also have a drink in the garden and on the terrace. Gothic vaulting, beamed ceilings and bay windows recall the beauty of centuries past, while the free wireless internet access is a reminder that outside, it’s still the 21st century.

Tuscany: Castello di Tornano

Heading south to Tuscany we find the 12th century Castello di Tornano, a place so historic and beautiful that it enjoys the protection of the Ministry of Fine Arts. Though the characters for whom the rooms are named (Lancelot and Guinevere, Romeo and Juliet and Catherine de Medici) may not have actually stayed here, the hotel certainly evokes their spirit. Apartments are available in a former farmhouse with kitchens, while the hotel restaurant serves Tuscan specialties and classic Italian cooking, giving you many culinary choices. Enjoy touches of the past, like wrought-iron and canopied beds and narrow, winding stairways, as you get some R & R on the tennis court, by the swimming pool, in the Jacuzzi or with a massage treatment. This hillside castle is set surrounded by trees and trails, which are equally great for hiking, biking or just gazing at from your room.

Lazio: Castello della Castelluccia

If you want to experience the Spanish Steps, the Via Veneto and all the other exciting attractions of Rome by day, then slip into the serenity of your castle at night, then welcome to the Castello della Castelluccia. This 12th century castle hotel offers a shuttle service to the nearby Giustiniana Train Station that can have you in the heart of the Eternal City in just minutes. Surrounded by a wooded park, the Castelluccia lets you marvel at centuries-old frescoes right in the privacy of your own guest room. The castle’s history is revealed through the names of the individually decorated room, each of which comes from a previous guest or owner; for example, the Pope Pius VII Room, which hosted the Pontiff in 1814. A Jacuzzi, steam bath, outdoor swimming pool and massage service help you relax while La Locanda Restaurant serves a selection of traditional Italian food and fine wine by the side of a large fireplace.

Sicily: San Domenico Palace Hotel

Okay, so the San Domenico Palace Hotel is set in a 15th century monastery and not a castle. But with its long vaulted hallways passing by ancient cloisters, all adorned with paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, this hotel is nothing if not palatial. Winston Churchill, John Steinbeck, movie stars and members of many royal families would agree, as they’ve all been guests here. If you’re wondering what that scent is, it’s the bougainvillea and lemon trees in the garden, which can be found next to bright red trumpet flowers and palm trees. Views of Mt. Etna lie in one direction, while the blue Bay of Taormina can be viewed in the other direction. The monks might frown on their refectory and its fireplace being used for the hotel bar, but then they might approve of the guests’ enjoying the lovely terrace to dine al fresco. There’s also a fitness centre, high-tech spa facilities and a swimming pool.