Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, Via Roma, Conca Dei Marini, Salerno, Italy

History of Monastero Santa Rosa
Imagine nuns cloaked in traditional white wool and black cap attire busy baking delectable cream-filled pastries within the kitchen of a sky-swimming 17th-century monastery perched on the most dramatic promontory of Conca dei Marini. Such is how it all began… The sisters baked exquisite handmade desserts. Their sfogliatelle, a shell-shaped, filled pastry, became known as ‘Santa Rosa.’ Bianca Sharma, the current owner of Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, plans to start a special tradition honoring the sisters and their heavenly sfogliatelle. Every year between August 23-30th during the Festival of Santa Rosa, Bianca will give out the traditional sfogliatelle to the local children. In fact, with every step in the renovation process, Bianca considered the past. Reviving the spirit of Santa Rosa to keep its historical memory alive and relevant today became the owner’s steadfast purpose.
Originally built in the late 17th century, the monastery came to life through the ambition of Sister Rosa Pandolfi, a descendant of the noble family Pontone di Scala who had taken up residence in Conca dei Marini. The antique church of Santa Maria di Grado, sadly reduced to ruins, was a gift to Sister Rosa. Having the means to make a difference, she funded the monastery’s construction built adjacent to the church for the ‘sacred virgins.’ Upon completion in 1681, the convent was dedicated to the glorious St. Rose of Lima.
Over the years the sisters contributed in many ways to the local community. Most notably the nuns provided funding for an aqueduct from Mount Vocito to Piazza Olmo to provide water for the inhabitants of Conca. Even today, a plaque stands near the piazza’s fountain in the town square commemorating this noble gesture. The sisters also became renowned not only for their aforementioned baking skills but also for their apothecary, concocting effective remedies to treat common afflictions. In the mid-1800s, however, the religious establishment was removed following the laws of eviction and the convent was handed over to the municipality.