Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna
The ancient and sophisticated city of Bologna, famed for its gastronomy and learning, posseses a perfectly preserved city centre. Relatively untouched by tourism it is one of the few if not the only place in Italy where you can admire sculpture by Michelangelo, and paintings by Raphael and the Bolognese masters in total peace and quiet.
The Palazzo Ghisilardi Fava was transformed into a hotel in 1911 and today is home to the Grand Hotel Baglioni. The Palazzo itself oozes with history, it was built in the first half of the 18th century to house the Archbishop's Seminary, and pre-existing rooms include the salons with the frescoed ceilings by the Carracci brothers, veritable jewels of the sixteenth-century painting. The hotel is situated in the heart of the city, surrounded by handsome, arcaded streets lined with mediaeval and Renaissance palazzi and just a short distance from the beautiful Piazza Maggiore and from the famous Due Torri.
Rooms are cosy and elegant, with modernised bathrooms and frescoes on many of the ceilings. There is a lovely old fashioned atmosphere to the hotel, with fantastic service and a concierge who can advise you where to find some of the best restaurants in Italy which are just a few minutes walk from the hotel. For once we can recommend the hotels own restaurant I Caracci (complete with frescoes by the two brothers). Pasta and bread are made on the premises and the menu consists of traditional Bolognese specialities.