Mar 31, 2008
The convents and monasteries of western Europe supply comfortable and affordable lodgings
How real is the advice of some travel writers to use the convents and monasteries of Europe for your lodgings? Very real, indeed. A great many monastic orders in Europe take vows of hospitality in place of poverty, and accommodate visitors for a token fee of $10 to $40 a night -- sometimes even for free.
The freebies, of course, are found at only a small number of monasteries, traditionally the more isolated ones in the countryside, where you stay in a monastic cell on a kind of personal religious retreat. At one of these, you are expected to remain in place for at least three days, following the monastery's rules, eating with the monks, and attending mass several times a day.
More to the speed of most tourists are the religious hospices run by convents. These are often set up as guesthouses for pilgrims and, as a result, are concentrated in such pilgrimage locations as Rome, Assisi and Lourdes -- though you can find hospices associated with major churches in most other big cities. Here, the rules tend to be less rigid (at most there might be a curfew), though showing a healthy amount of respect is always wise. Decor is monastically simple: a plain bed, perhaps a desk, and a crucifix on the wall. Rates range from $20 to $40, but can be higher at a few places (better left avoided).
How do you find them? They're occasionally (but only very occasionally) found on the internet. The American church of Santa Susanna in Rome maintains an excellent Italian list at www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html. The religious tour operator Zefiro World will reserve a spot at a few dozen other religious guesthouses (www.go-to-italy.com/English/Religious.htm), though these tend to fall toward the pricier end of the scale.
There is also an excellent series of guidebooks by Eileen Barrish that includes the titles: Lodging in Italy's Monasteries, Lodging in Spain's Monasteries, and Lodging in France's Monasteries (they're in most big bookstores, and online). Two similar and helpful books are Bed and Blessings Italy by Anne and June Walsh, and Europe's Monastery and Convent Guesthouses: A Pilgrim's Travel Guide by Kevin J. Wright.
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The freebies, of course, are found at only a small number of monasteries, traditionally the more isolated ones in the countryside, where you stay in a monastic cell on a kind of personal religious retreat. At one of these, you are expected to remain in place for at least three days, following the monastery's rules, eating with the monks, and attending mass several times a day.
More to the speed of most tourists are the religious hospices run by convents. These are often set up as guesthouses for pilgrims and, as a result, are concentrated in such pilgrimage locations as Rome, Assisi and Lourdes -- though you can find hospices associated with major churches in most other big cities. Here, the rules tend to be less rigid (at most there might be a curfew), though showing a healthy amount of respect is always wise. Decor is monastically simple: a plain bed, perhaps a desk, and a crucifix on the wall. Rates range from $20 to $40, but can be higher at a few places (better left avoided).
How do you find them? They're occasionally (but only very occasionally) found on the internet. The American church of Santa Susanna in Rome maintains an excellent Italian list at www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html. The religious tour operator Zefiro World will reserve a spot at a few dozen other religious guesthouses (www.go-to-italy.com/English/Religious.htm), though these tend to fall toward the pricier end of the scale.
There is also an excellent series of guidebooks by Eileen Barrish that includes the titles: Lodging in Italy's Monasteries, Lodging in Spain's Monasteries, and Lodging in France's Monasteries (they're in most big bookstores, and online). Two similar and helpful books are Bed and Blessings Italy by Anne and June Walsh, and Europe's Monastery and Convent Guesthouses: A Pilgrim's Travel Guide by Kevin J. Wright.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: accommodations, monastery
Fifty years ago, 
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