Has anyone stayed at any of the Monasterys near the Vatican? We're taking a cruise next May and will end our trip with 4 days in Rome. We are working with a Travel Agency to book a Monastery for us. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Here are the prior reviews/discussions of that
click here
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
Brian, I've not stayed near the Vatican (those convents were filled each time I tried). There are some listed at the website of Monastery Stays (although they do charge a hefty fee for arranging lodging). Santa Susanna's website (Catholic church for American community in Rome) also has a nice list, although they don't arrange lodging. I've always booked myself, through the internet.
On my last visit (Jan/Feb of this year) I stayed at a great convent, 1/2 block from Santa Maria Magiorre (sp?), which is my favorite of the papal basilicas (and also less than a block from the church I most love in Rome, Santa Prassede). It's a convent of the Sisters of St Elizabeth of Hungary:
[email protected]
Suore di S.Elisabetta
Via dell'Olmata, 9
00184 Roma
tel. +39/06/4888271
fax +39/06/4884066
It's a lovely old building; great neighborhood; a good breakfast is included; 1/2 block from tourist info booth and taxi stand; about 3 short blocks from the Termini train station and a Metro stop. I think I paid maybe 50 E for a single room and breakfast. Only 1 of the sisters I met spoke some English (the one running the breakfast room), but the one time I had a complicated story to convey, I had the person at the tourist info booth write it for me and gave the paper to the sister on duty... worked fine.
I've also stayed at the monastery of San Gregorio in Rome. I liked the location (although it's away from the main tourist areas--between the Colliseum and the Circus Maximus, pretty much surrounded by the ruins of the ancient city). Definitely quieter, and more self-service. No breakfast. A more isolated location. About a block from a Metro stop. I stayed there because I'm affiliated with a Camaldolese Benedictine monastery in California, and this is their house in Rome. So it was wonderful to be able to join the monks for liturgy, and it made me feel very much at home at the end of a relatively long trip.
Enjoy your trip!