The Complete Guide To Italy's Palaces

Once the preserve of the aristocracy, many palazzi are now welcoming paying guests. Rhiannon Batten picks the best on offer

Once the preserve of the aristocracy, many palazzi are now welcoming paying guests. Rhiannon Batten picks the best on offer

SHOULD I PACK A CROWN - OR A MITRE?

Not unless you plan to enter the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, the president's official residence. The majority of Italy's majestic buildings no longer have any association with crown or church, and many have been converted into upmarket villas and hotels. And with the recent rise of the B&B in Italy, even some of the most exclusive, privately owned palazzi are starting to open their doors to paying guests.

WHERE SHOULD I START?

Venice, home to some of the country's grandest palazzi. They run the architectural spectrum from Gothic through Renaissance to Baroque and on. First in line is the Palazzo Ducale, or Doge's Palace (see box on page 18), but take a vaporetto (water bus) along the Grand Canal for €3.50 (£2.50) and many of the buildings that surround you will also be palaces. In mercantile Venice, people did not just live in these opulent buildings; they worked in them too, running family businesses from the water's edge, a tradition that continues today.

To stay in a Venetian palazzo, you have several options. One of the city's finest hotels is the Gritti Palace (00 39 041 794 611; www.starwoodhotels.com). It was commissioned in 1525 as the Doge's residence and later became home to the Vatican's ambassadors.

Over the years it has played suitably grand host to real royalty, political royalty and Hollywood royalty. Ernest Hemingway called the Gritti Palace "the best hotel in a city of great hotels". Opulent, antique-filled doubles - many with a view directly over the Grand Canal - start at €599 (£428), without breakfast.

A more reasonably priced option is the Londra Palace (00 39 041 520 0533; www.hotelondra.it), near St Mark's Square and overlooking the lagoon. Though a palace only in name (it was built as a hotel in the 1860s), it's easy to kid yourself that you are staying in the real thing. Besides oodles of white marble and some of the best views in Venice, its claim to fame is that Tchaikovsky wrote the first three movements of his Fourth Symphony in room 106. Doubles start at €275 (£196) including breakfast.

Cheaper still is Ca' Pisani (00 39 041 240 1411; www.capisanihotel.it), a member of the Design Hotels group. It was originally built as a palace in the 13th century and revamped in the 16th, but don't expect much surviving detail from either of those eras. When the hotel was refurbished six years ago, it was along contemporary lines, with an Art Deco twist. Rooms start at €216 (£154), with breakfast.

ANY OTHER DESIGNER PALACES?

If you prefer a more minimalist style, try the Locanda di Palazzo Cicala (00 39 010 251 8824; www.palazzocicala.it), in Genoa. Set within a restored 16th-century palace overlooking the cathedral, its six rooms and four apartments manage to be cosy as well as chic. Doubles start at €170 (£120) including breakfast.

Another place set to break the mould is the Golden Palace hotel in Turin, which is scheduled to open this autumn in the former headquarters of a big insurance firm. When the Palazzo d'Oro was first built after the Second World War, it was spoken of as an architectural wonder. In its new incarnation as a five-star hotel, it will be part of the Turin Hotels group, which has several other properties throughout Italy, including the spectacular San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily (00 39 0942 61 31 11; www.thi.it).

Softer in style is the Palazzo Terranova (00 39 075 857 0083; www.palazzoterranova.com) in rural Umbria, a small hotel that's been decorated in soft marshmallow and bright poppy shades and has elaborate doubles from €295 (£210) including breakfast.

SOMETHING MORE TRADITIONAL?

To get away from it all, go south. A good place to start is Arbitare La Storia (00 39 0322 7255; www.abitarelastoria.it), an organisation that promotes accommodation in historic Italian houses - and which has several palace hotels on its books, from the cute, medieval Hotel Posta in Reggio Emilia to the vast five-star Palazzo del Capo in Calabria, Italy's toe. Staying in the south, try Puglia - Italy's heel. Long Travel (01694 722367; www.long-travel.co.uk) offers packages to the 17th-century Patria Palace in Lecce. Typical packages start at £476, including flights from London to nearby Brindisi and four nights' bed and breakfast.

A SEA VIEW?

Try the Capri Palace Hotel and Spa in Anacapri (00 39 081 978 0111; www.capri-palace.com), which is decorated in soothing neutral colours The most talked-about apartment in this 18th-century building is a very 21st-century suite: the Megaron penthouse's roof garden features a swimming pool with views out across the sea. What really sets the hotel apart for the celebrity regulars is its spa. Double rooms start at €285 (£204), including breakfast.

Another grand old palace hotel with jaw-dropping coastal views is the * *Palazzo Sasso in Ravello. A 12th-century cliff-top wedding cake of a building, it's a gorgeous mish-mash of medieval, baroque and Arabian architecture, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and exotic gardens. Doubles from €330 (£236), including breakfast (00 39 089 818181; www.palazzosasso.com).

In Campania near Naples you can stay in a 17th-century palace where a 21st-century prince still resides. Although the 17th-century Palazzo Belmonte has been divided into comfortable guest apartments, the main chunk of the building is still lived in by the local nobility. Even more of an attraction is the fact that the property leads straight on to the beach. Prices start from £398 per person for a three-night break, including flights to Naples, car hire and bed and breakfast accommodation, through CV Travel (0870 606 0802; www.cvtravel.net).

On the far shore of Italy, the Palazzo Viviani (00 39 0541 855350; www.montegridolfo.com) is a medieval palace owned by fashion designer Alberta Ferretti and set in a hilltop citadel near Cattolica, on the Adriatic coast just south-east of Rimini. Its eight stylish suites, complete with original frescoes and fireplaces, start at €140 (£100) per night, including breakfast.

OR A LAKESIDE RETREAT?

The Palazzo Arzaga, overlooking Lake Garda, has recently been brought up to five-star standard after a thorough restoration. It's more comfortably luxurious than seriously stylish but this country mansion still has all the trappings of a fully paid-up palace, including 15th-century frescoes, hand-painted ceilings, chandeliers and solid stone staircases. It also has a full spa and golf course.

ITC Classics is offering seven-night breaks here from £851 per person, including flights and breakfast (01244 355340; www.itcclassics.co.uk). The same company also offers packages to the more characterful Villa Cortine Palace, on the edge of Lake Garda. It has some very opulent interiors and its own Roman ruins in the grounds. A five-night trip start at £778 per person, including flights from London and breakfast.

AND THE PALATIAL HEART OF ITALY?

Try the 500-year-old Il Palazzo (00 39 058 762 2699; w ww.slh.com), at Borgo di Colleoli, a medieval Tuscan estate between Pisa and Florence. Prices for one of the 12 suites in this luxury bolthole start at €625 (£446) including breakfast and 24-hour butler service.

Another alternative, if you can afford to blow the budget, is I Palazzi. Not to be confused with the previous property, this fairy-tale eight-bedroom palace and tower, set in expansive Umbrian gardens, is full of period features but also has modern luxuries including an infinity pool and private tennis courts. It is let on a self-catering basis through Wimco (0870 850 1144; www.wimco.co.uk); rental starts at £10,688 per week.

Other good agencies for self-catering properties include Dimore Storiche ( www.dimorestoriche.com), whose listings include a quirky circular palace, the Palazzo dalla Rosa Prati in Parma; Dolce Vita Villas (020-7436 0426; www.dolce vitavillas.com); Ilios Travel (08700 600 607, www.iliostravel.com); and Veronica Tomasso Cotgrove (020-7267 2423; www.vtcitaly.com).

The shoe-making Ferragamo family owns the Palazzo Capponi in Florence. The two-suite, fully staffed apartment is set on the first floor of a 16th-century Florentine palace and forms part of the family's growing hotel business.

While most of the family's properties are contemporary boutique hotels, the Palazzo Capponi is more traditional. The master bedroom has vast ceilings, frescoed walls and a four-poster. The apartment sleeps four and operates like a hotel. It doesn't come cheap, though. Prices start at €3,000 (£2,143) per night, including breakfast (00 39 055 27261; www.lungarnohotels.com).

MY BUDGET WON'T STRETCH TO THAT

Upmarket bed and breakfast is finally starting to take off in Italy and, if you have imperial tastes but a peasant's budget, they can be a good compromise.

Two good ones are Dimora del Prete in Venafro, with doubles in a gorgeous old palace from €110/£78 (00 39 086 590 0159; www.dimora delprete.it), and Casa Banzo, set in a picturesque baby blue palazzo near Rome's Campo di Fiori, with doubles from €120/£86 (00 39 06 683 3909).

Alastair Sawday's guide to Italy also includes plenty of reasonably priced palace hotels and guest houses (£12.99 for the book; www.specialplacestostay.com). Or, try booking through specialist agency Dolce Casa, based in Milan (00 39 02 331 1814; www.dolcecasa.it).

FIVE GREAT PALACES FOR SIGHTSEEING

Doge's Palace, Venice

The official residence of the Venetian Dogi (dukes) from the ninth century until the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, the ducal palace is the most impressive Gothic monument in the city. It houses some of the most impressive works of art in Italy, including paintings by Tintoretto and frescoes by Veronese. This is also where you'll find the Bridge of Sighs, so named because the bridge connects the palace with the prisons, and condemned men were supposed to have sighed as they walked across it and saw the outside world for the last time. Piazzetta San Marco (00 39 041 271 5911). Open 9am to 6pm daily in summer, admission €11 (£7.85).

Medici Riccardi Palace, Florence

This was home to the infamous Medici family before they moved to the Palazzo Vecchio in the mid-16th century. The tiny Magi chapel on the building's first floor is decorated with exquisite frescoes painted in the 15th century by Benozzo Gozzoli. Some of the characters in the procession of the magi are said to bear a close resemblance to the Medicis. 3 Via Cavour (00 39 055 276 0340). Open from 9am to 7pm daily except Wednesdays, admission €4 (£2.85).

Palazzo Schifanoia, Ferrara

The town was declared a World Heritage Site a decade ago, largely due to its development during the Renaissance, when all manner of painters came to town to decorate the Este family palaces. One of the finest is the Palazzo Schifanoia, whose name translates as "disgust with boredom". Built in 1385, it is home to the Hall of the Months, a series of wall paintings on an astrological theme. 23 Via Scandiana (00 39 053 264178). Open daily except Monday from 9am to 6pm, admission €5 (£3.60).

Palazzo Pubblico, Siena

This 13th-century palazzo, the town hall, is the city's graceful focal point, situated on the lovely Piazza del Campo and home to the Museo Civico - and Siena's best artwork. Piazza del Campo (00 39 057 729 2263). Open from 10am to 7pm daily in summer, admission to Museo Civico €7 (£5).

Palazzo Venier Dei Leoni, Venice

This half-finished 18th-century palazzo, right on the Grand Canal, ishome to one of the world's greatest collections of contemporary art: the palazzo was bought by Peggy Guggenheim in 1949 and turned into a gallery after her death. Dorsoduro 701 (00 39 041 240 5411; www.guggenheim-venice.it). Open daily except Tuesday, from 10am to 6pm, admission €10 (£7.10).

ISLAND LIFE

Italy's largest and most alluring island is Sicily (right); you can reach it cheaply and easily from Stansted on Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com).

The clean and characterful Albergo Orientale is set within an 18th-century palazzo. It's a little on the noisy side - it's about two minutes' walk from the train station - but with en-suite doubles at just €65 (£46.40) excluding breakfast, it's still a fair option (00 39 091 616 5727; www.albergoorientale.191.it).

To meet the king and queen of a palazzo, check into the Palazzo Conte Federico in Palermo - one of the oldest buildings in the Sicilian capital, complete with a 12th-century tower. The current count and countess - who own it - greet guests personally. Doubles start at €330 (£236) per night, including breakfast (00 39 091 651 1881; www.contefederico.com).

You won't get quite such a regal welcome at the Centrale Palace Hotel, but it is bang in the centre of Palermo. The roof terrace has fantastic views over the city, and breakfast is served in a grand high-ceilinged salon, reached by an 18th-century staircase made of rare red Sicilian marble. The southern Italian specialist Long Travel (01694 722367; www.long-travel.co.uk) is currently offering a special deal whereby, if you book in for four nights' bed and breakfast, you get a fifth free. Prices for four nights start at £386 per person including return flights from London and transfers from Palermo airport.