Looking for a peaceful retreat in one of Rome’s most beloved neighborhoods? Donna Camilla Savelli has just emerged from a restyling and is ready to welcome guests once again.
A member of VRetreats, the boutique hotel brand behind 2022 It List hotel Ca’ di Dio, Donna Camilla Savelli, occupies a 17th-century convent on a quiet street in Trastevere, the village-like neighborhood famous for its quaint cobblestone streets, weathered buildings, convivial restaurants, and raucous nightlife.
Diego De Pol/Courtesy of Donna Camilla Savelli
“We have carefully preserved the soul of the 17th-century monastery, ensuring that every detail—from the restored frescoes to the thoughtfully reimagined spaces—reflects the elegance and heritage of Rome,” Maurizio Montecatino, the hotel’s general manager, told Travel + Leisure. “Our goal is to offer a sanctuary where history, art, and hospitality converge seamlessly, inviting guests to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of timeless charm.”
Originally designed by Baroque master Francesco Borromini, who left his mark on palaces like Palazzo Spada and Palazzo Barberini and churches including Sant’Agnese in Agone on Piazza Navona and Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, the building is a remarkable historic landmark in a city full of them. Directly inside the entrance, there’s a chapel still presided over by three nuns with details including angels that were added to the niches when the original sculptures were removed during Napoleon’s reign.
Courtesy of Donna Camilla Savelli
The lobby occupies a long, narrow hallway with arches, vaulted ceilings, checkerboard floors, and cornices. Guests can relax on the curved, modern sofas or grab a table for lunch or an aperitivo. The signature restaurant, il Ferro e il Fuoco, is located in an intimate room on the lower level and serves gourmet Mediterranean cuisine highlighting local ingredients and wines from Lazio. (There are plans to move it to the convent’s original dining hall, a vast space with wood-beamed ceilings and original paintings.) As soon as the weather warms up, though, both the casual Garden restaurant and the gourmet restaurant will serve meals in the verdant courtyard garden, which feels like a serene oasis in the heart of the city with its beautiful magnolia trees, hedges, and flowers.
Courtesy of Donna Camilla Savelli
The 94 rooms and suites have been reimagined with a mix of modern and period furnishings. Above the beds, panels featuring birds, trees, and leaves in soft, muted colors add to the romantic atmosphere, while brass hanging lamps and marble-topped bedside tables accentuate the space. Some rooms have original wood-beamed ceilings, while others have terracotta floors and four-poster beds. The Premiere Suite has a spacious private terrace overlooking the garden and a soaking tub under the monumental rose window that looks onto the chapel. Many of the rooms were carved out of the original nuns’ cells, which have been expanded and modernized—the nuns certainly wouldn’t recognize them now.
Diego De Pol/Courtesy of Donna Camilla Savelli
However, one of the hotel’s best selling points is its rooftop terrace, which offers panoramic vistas of the Eternal City that stretch from Janiculum Hill to the Vittoriano. For now, there’s no service up there, but there are chairs and tables set up so guests can bring drinks and snacks from the downstairs bar up to the roof and enjoy the views and the breeze. Those who want a more happening scene can just walk a few blocks over to Piazza Trilussa, which is surrounded by bars and comes alive with street musicians in the evenings, making it a breeze to experience the best that Rome has to offer.
