Score from 2 reviews
Eremo delle Grazie 
Monteluco - Spoleto (Italy) 
Phone: +39.0743.49624 
Fax: +39.0743.49650 
Email: eremodellegrazie@tin.it
Pricing
Prices for a double room, per person:
| Treatment | Rate |
|---|---|
| Bed and Breakfast | from € 60,00 to € 115,00 |
Accommodation Facilities
|
General |
Bar, 24-Hour Front Desk, Terrace, Garden, Restaurant, Heating, Breakfast Buffet, Free Parking |
|
Activities |
Outdoor Swimming Pool, Children's Playground |
|
Services |
Laundry, VIP Room Facilities, Bridal Suite, Internet Services, Free Wi-Fi Internet Access Included |
|
Room Amenities |
Panoramic View, Park |
Hotel information
A bit of history
At the end of the 5th Century AD, Saint Isaac of Antiochia chose Monteluco as the place where to re-establish, with his followers, the hermit lifestyle that he had had to abandon in Syria due to persecution.
Immersed in the sacred wood of Monteluco, the Hermitage through the centuries became a centre of spiritual and ascetic life; in 1547 Bishop Fabio Vigili established the 'Congregation of the Hermit Friars of Monteluco', and the Hermitage of Santa Maria delle Grazie soon become their spiritual home.
On the 18th SEPTEMBER 1556, Michelangelo, by that time in his 80's, aware if the immenent invasion of Rome by Spanish troops led by the Duke of Alba, hid "in the mountains of Spoleto" not only because of his close relationship with the then Bishop Alessandro Farnese, but also for the great spiritual prestige that the community around the Hermitage of Santa Maria delle Grazie had earned.. In a letter addressed to Vasari, he wrote that he had experienced "great pleasure in the mountains of Spoleto visting these hermits.." and "that truly only in the woods is there peace", which has become a motto that can be found repeated many times around the Hermitage.
The bishop of Spoleto, Sanvitale in 1591 and Cardinal Cybo (1613-1700) were so fond of the place that they expanded and enriched it with beautiful decor.
In 1806 the army of Napoleon occupied the Hermitage, leaving signs on the walls of their presence, showing that the Hermitage may have been used as a hospital.
In 1860 the heritage of the Congregation of the Hermit Friars of Monteluco passed to the local Charitable Congregation and the Hermitage was subsequently sold to a private owner. In 1918 it was bought by Professor Arrigo Piperno, a famous dentist who had amongst his patients noted public figures such as Pope Pius XII, members of the royal family, D'Annunzio and Mussolini. In 1952 his nephew, Professor Pio Lalli, bought the Hermitage from him and continued the conservation and refurbishing work with the same passion with which his beloved uncle had started it. In 1991 it was listed as a 'Historic Residence' (the first of its kind in Umbria) with the aim of bringing attention to the antique building and its historical importance, both in Italy and abroad.
Room information
THE CELLS
“An ornate staircase, decorated with antique prints of the Hermitage, brings us to the first floor where we find a long gallery with a splendid selection of prints of Spoleto and a series of benches which lead onto the 'cells' which have been transformed into suites.
The original antique style and furnishings have been preserved in the rooms, despite the fact that their main use has changed. Each room has been given the name of a Friar and an appropriate motto has been put above the doors. "In silence the soul is more divine" is written above the door on the 'Gelsumino' room, where the President of the German Republic Veisecher and numerous cardinals, amongst whom Urbani, Pacelli - future Pope Pius XII - and Montini - future Pope Paul VI - have slept”. (Ville e Giardini - Francesca Lepore)
When Cardinal Cybo ordered the construction of the actual church " Santa Maria delle Grazie" he also restored the appartaments, which included his rooms, an anterooms and a library. In the anteroom the walls are covered by paintings. Those masterpieces were executed by Ginesio del Barba di Massa. In the cardinal's library the walls are decorated in painted wood pannelings.
Important information
UNIQUE FEATURES
Panorama
From the terraces there is a stunning view over the city of Spoleto and the "Valle del Tesino".
Library
The ancient study of Cardinal Cybo, contains a wealth of interesting antique books.
The Frescoes
Between the end of 1500 and 1700 Bishop San Vitale and the Cardinal Cybo expanded and enriched the house with beautiful furnishings and decor.
Family Traditions
At morning breakfast "apple fritters" are served, cooked according to a traditional recipe of our family.
The wine cellar (Grotto)
This is the ancient cave, presumably where the first anchorite Minolo or Manolo lived, which is now a wine cellar where fine wines dating back to 1920 are kept.
