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

Finally purchased by a Roman hotelier Mr. Marcucci, who recognized the property’s historic value, the old convent was transformed into a hotel in 1924. Esteemed for its authentic simplicity typical of monastic life, the Hotel Santa Rosa became one of the 39 castle hotels of Italy. The hotel’s motto was, “At each window, the sun. From each window, the sea.” To Bianca’s relief, the Caterina family who ran the hotel for three generations had the foresight to conserve the architectural foundations of the premises while implementing modern conveniences for guests. So the original architectural details remained. However, after the death of the Caterina family, the building was once again left without a purpose. Standing solitude on the edge of a cliff, the imposing structure became a lonely reminder of former glory, hospitality, and rich honorable history.
In 2000 Bianca was boating in the Gulf of Salerno and admiring the spectacular promontory towering above her. Her eyes rested on this majestic yet ruined monastery extending from but disappearing into the rock. She was instantly captivated, bought the property, moved to the Coast, and began her decade-long quest of restoring the former monastery into a luxury boutique hotel. Through Bianca’s endless dedication and careful instruction in conjunction with a local team of architects and historical authorities, the monastery’s structural integrity has been maintained. Thus the monastery’s original atmosphere remains ever present in her current design.
Since its origins the history of the Conca dei Marini village has always been intimately tied to the destiny of the convent. Bianca’s tireless efforts have enabled this bond to continue into the next century with the 2012 reopening of the monastery as a luxury hotel for locals and visitors from around the world to enjoy.