Rome, Borromini’s convent: baroque oasis hidden under the Janiculum

A convent on the slopes of the Janiculum designed by Francesco Borromini together with a church still open to the faithful: the Monastery of Santa Maria dei Sette Dolorifounded in 1640 by the Duchess Camilla Virginia Savelliwife of Pietro Francesco Farnese, is a baroque oasis in the heart of Trastevereone of the many surprises that Rome offers. The monastery admitted young women from noble families but with poor health to religious life. In 1951 the nuns opened a kindergarten for the children of Trastevere.

Since 2008 the structure has been transformed into a luxury hotel with 94 rooms including 8 Suites and a Premiere Suite, but it is still possible to admire it for those who walk in those parts. And three nuns still live in one of their wings. We are at via Garibaldi 27: on the left side of the unfinished facade in rough bricks with concave and convex lines, the church door opens, on the right the entrance to the hotel. The façade leads back to the upward force typical of Borrominian façades. The interior of the church, with a longitudinal plan, is characterized by the colonnade that runs along all the walls whose fluid surface changes from convex to concave in a continuous cycle.

Borromini’s project and the historic garden

The design of the building was entrusted to Francesco Borromini who, due to the economic difficulties of the Farnese family, had to interrupt the work in 1665, and the facade remained unfinished. The three sides of the Monastery overlook the Gardenwhose current design dates back to 1864. Curious detail: each flowerbed was cultivated by a nun. The central fountain dates back to the 17th century.

Here in summer aperitifs are servedElementa Lounge Bar & Bistro’including the “Alchemical Dynasties”, a series of cocktails that pays homage to the great Roman families, from the Pamphilj to the Barberini.

The restoration and transformation into a luxury hotel

Following a restoration that respected the typical Baroque architectural criteria and Borromini’s original project, the convent was transformed into a 4-star hotel Donna Camilla Savelli Of VRetreatsa VOIhotels brand that focuses on art, history and culture made in Italy.

The restoration involved the tabernacle of the Madonnina, with an altar surmounted by columns that frame a niche with putti, and large wooden doors which divide the various floors of the staircase. On the first and second floors of the Monastery were located the nuns’ cells which have been repurposed as rooms without invasive interventions. In the refectory, on whose walls there are original paintings of the convent, breakfast is served in winter. The wooden architectural elements such as entrance doors, windows and ceilings have been carefully restored, renewing their ancient splendor.