This 16th century palace in Rome lets tourists stay with real-life princesses
Would you book a stay at an Italian palace where you get to mingle with royalty every day?
At Ruspoli Bonaparte Residence in Rome, it is perfectly normal to have conversations with its royal homeowners as you walk to the dining hall for breakfast.
Princess Giacinta Ruspoli and her mother Princess Maria Pia would rather share their exquisite family home with travelers, for a price, than shutter themselves away from regular folk.
"We consider ourselves as mere keepers of palazzo Ruspoli Bonaparte. We do not like to say we are the owners of it," Ruspoli said in a report by CNN Travel.
"My family wants to share all this beauty we have been gifted with everyone else. It comes imbued with a unique chunk of Italy's history and traditions. We do not live shut in our castello. We like to mingle with people by opening the doors of our very home," she added.
A lawyer and journalist by trade who now works as a hotelier and event organizer, Ruspoli handles her family's properties.
She and her mother like to greet guests personally when they arrive and tell stories about their family's history, which dates back to the Middle Ages during the reign of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor.
The Ruspoli family eventually formed Vatican connections, from which they built their wealth. In the family tree are several popes and one saint.
How much does it cost per night?
The royal residence offers guests four suites of over 1,000 square feet each. Every suite comes with ceiling-high stone fireplaces, marble decorations, butler service, and breakfast.
Each suite can accommodate up to four people, with the upper floor featuring double bedrooms, a veranda and private terrace with a panoramic view, and lounge chairs.
Owing to its royal status, the palace is decorated with coffered ceilings, parquet flooring, and ancient portraits of the Ruspoli ancestors. Plush sofas, purple and green canopy beds, elaborate crystal chandeliers, and tables made from black onyx and green malachite are normal sights in the palace.
Its walls also hold paintings and other artworks commissioned by Dutch Queen Hortense de Beauharnais, the mother of Emperor Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. The emperor grew up in the Ruspoli Bonaparte residence.
A night's stay costs about €405 (about P29,401). Extra services, such as beauty services and en-suite chefs creating customized menus, are also available for a fee.
Guests may also rent the entire palace starting at €4,000 (about P289,912) per night.
A stay at the Ruspoli Bonaparte Residence also gives guests access to the Ruspoli family's former hunting estate outside of Rome, the Castello Ruspoli. It has recently been turned into a boutique hotel with 10 suites and a space big enough to host events.
You may book a stay at the Ruspoli Bonaparte Residence here.
