Italy's Convents and Monasteries Reborn as Luxury Hotels

Italy is witnessing a wave of former monasteries, convents, and abbeys being transformed into atmospheric luxury hotels. Castel Badia in the Dolomites, opened late last year, is co-steered by hotelier Aldo Melpignano, known for Borgo Egnazia in Puglia. The property offers massages in an 11th-century convent, with lavender from gardens once tended by Benedictine nuns. In northern Umbria, Vocabolo Moscatelli, a 12th-century monastery turned boutique design hotel, was restored by founders Frederik Kubierschky and Catharina Lütjens with architect Jacopo Venerosi Pesciolini, preserving stone fireplaces and exposed beams while adding contemporary Italian design, such as a hot pink Paola Lenti sofa. On Ischia, L'Albergo del Monastero occupies a convent established by Clarisse nuns within the Aragonese Castle, now a 20-room hotel run by siblings Cristina and Nicola Mattera, whose father, artist Gabriele Mattera, invited artists to exhibit there. The property hosts a cultural program through their foundation. On the Amalfi Coast, Monastero Santa Rosa, a former 17th-century Dominican monastery, features a panoramic infinity pool and a spa treatment named Hora Sexta—Nun's Escape. These conversions reflect a growing trend of repurposing religious spaces for hospitality, blending austerity with indulgence.