Many convents and monasteries in Florence offer hospitality within striking distance of the Renaissance city’s historic center.
Featured photo: The towers of Badia Fiorentina and the Bargello along Via del Proconsolo in Florence, Italy.
Table of Contents
- Convents & Monasteries Series
- Florence / Firenze
- Sanctuary Firenze
- Istituto delle Suore di Santa Elisabetta
- Casa per Ferie Regina del Santo Rosario
Convents & Monasteries Series
This is part of a series of ongoing blog posts about Italian convents and monasteries where I have stayed. I will update this page as I get to stay in more religious guesthouses in the future.
Check my main article on staying in convents and monasteries: the pros and cons, and what to expect when considering these accommodations.
Florence (Firenze)
Florence (or Firenze [fi-REN-zeh]in Italian), the city of the Renaissance, needs no introduction. When visiting Florence, most people stay in hotels and B&Bs. But this city – with its world-famous Duomo, or Florence Cathedral, is home to many convents and monasteries that offer hospitality. I’ve stayed in some of them…
Sanctuary Firenze
The Suore Oblate dell’Assunzione has been running the Sanctuary Firenze guesthouse since 1928. The convent is in a 15th-century palazzo just a few blocks from the Piazza della Signoria.
Highlights
The suore [SWO-reh] (nuns or sisters) were very warm and friendly. At the reception, they spoke good English.
My single room was spare but roomy enough to accommodate a single bed, wardrobe, desk and chair, and a coat rack. The ensuite bathroom was spacious. Everything was clean.
The convent guest house has a wonderful garden, and benches where you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the small trees, roses, vines, and many other shrubs. Truly, an oasis in the middle of the city.
Lots of sitting areas inside the guest house with period furnishings – especially welcome if you wish to escape the constraints of your small room.
There was a small elevator, so I didn’t have to carry my small but heavy luggage up the stairs.
The best thing about Sanctuary Firenze is that it is centrally located in the historic center of Florence:
Palazzo Vecchio/ Uffizi Gallery/ Piazza della Signoria – is an 11-minute, 0.6 mile walk from Sanctuary Firenze. Follow this Google maps walking route.
The train station Firenze Santa Maria Novella – is an 18-minute, 0.9 mile walk, or a 17-20 minute bus ride (bus #23 or #C2). Follow this Google maps walking route.
Lodging Summary for Sanctuary Firenze
| Bed & breakfast rate (single): | €55 in 2019 |
| Distance from city center: | ✅✅✅ (within historic center) |
| Breakfast: | ✅ |
| Wi-Fi: | ✅ ✅ (in room, ok speed) |
| Check-in: | from 12:00 noon |
| Check-out: | by 9:00 am |
| Curfew: | at 11:30 pm |
| Credit cards: | Yes |
| Luggage storage: | Yes |
| Laundry facility: | No. See note below. |
| Onsite parking: | No. Ask for options. |
| Elevator: | Yes |
| Ensuite bathroom: | Yes |
| Wardrobe/drawers in room: | Yes |
| Desk/chair in room: | Yes |
LEGEND:
Distance from the city center or main attractions
✅ Must drive or take taxi/multiple bus/train ride
✅✅ Within 30-minute walk or short bus/train ride
✅✅✅ Within 15-minute walk
Breakfast offering
❌ No breakfast offered
✅ Basic: coffee, milk, juice, bread, jams, cereal, fruit
✅✅ Basic plus protein: above plus eggs or some meat
✅✅✅ Sumptuous breakfast buffet
Wi-fi coverage
❌ No Wi-fi
✅ Wi-fi only in common areas
✅✅ Room Wi-fi: adequate
✅✅✅ Room Wi-fi: strong
While Sanctuary Firenze does not have laundry facilities onsite, there are a couple of options within walking distance from the convent:
- There is an Express Wash – self-service laundry point at the corner of Borgo Pinti and Via degli Alfani, a 3-minute walk from the Sanctuary Firenze.
- There is also a tourist laundry service farther down the road #44 on Via degli Alfani, very close to Express Wash in case you prefer someone else to do the laundry.
Contact & Address
Email: info@sanctuaryfirenze.com
Tel.: (39)334-3727669
Website: www.sanctuaryfirenze.com
Address: Borgo Pinti, 15, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy
How to get there:
From Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station (Firenze SMN), use Google maps for direction –
➤ 18 minutes on foot
➤ 17-20 minutes by bus (bus #23 or #C2 involve the least walking)
➤ 20-30 minutes by taxi
How the Sanctuary Firenze convent building and front door look like (No. 15 on the right):
Istituto delle Suore di Santa Elisabetta
Istituto delle Suore di Santa Elisabetta is an active convent that provides hospitality just outside the town center – across the Arno River.
Highlights
Santa Elisabetta has 29 singles, doubles, triples and quadruples, almost all with private bath. I was given an airy double room with a large window to the street, and a spacious bathroom.
There’s no elevator – just big wide flights of carpeted stone stairs leading up to the upper levels. A young and cheerful nun (I think it was Sr. Elisa) checked me in, and when I balked at the stairs, she quickly grabbed my small but heavy rolling luggage before I could say “è molto pesante!”, and she marched effortlessly up the 3 levels to my assigned room.
This young sister could speak good English. The other nuns seemed happy to entertain your Italian language practice!
A generous breakfast (although it was the same every day) is served at the elegant dining room. They also assigned you a seat (name cards were on the table) – and this is how I met another American woman fellow blogger who became a friend during this trip.
There are sitting areas and a library for quiet time outside your room. The convent is more elegant, airy and newer than most in Florence.
Outside, the convent is surrounded by beautiful gardens and ponds with lots of benches and statuaries. Parking is available on the convent grounds.
Lodging Summary for Santa Elisabetta
| Bed & breakfast rate (single): | €43 in 2018 |
| Distance from city center: | ✅✅ |
| Breakfast: | ✅ (simple but filling) |
| Wi-Fi: | ✅✅ (some flaky periods) |
| Check-in: | from 12:00 noon |
| Check-out: | by 10:00 am |
| Curfew: | at 11:00 pm |
| Credit cards: | No |
| Luggage storage: | Yes |
| Laundry facility: | No |
| Onsite parking: | Yes |
| Elevator: | No |
| Ensuite bathroom: | Yes |
| Wardrobe/drawers in room: | Yes |
| Desk/chair in room: | Yes |
LEGEND:
Distance from the city center or main attractions
✅ Must drive or take taxi/multiple bus/train ride
✅✅ Within 30-minute walk or short bus/train ride
✅✅✅ Within 15-minute walk
Breakfast offering
❌ No breakfast offered
✅ Basic: coffee, milk, juice, bread, jams, cereal, fruit
✅✅ Basic plus protein: above plus eggs or some meat
✅✅✅ Sumptuous breakfast buffet
Wi-fi coverage
❌ No Wi-fi
✅ Wi-fi only in common areas
✅✅ Room Wi-fi: adequate
✅✅✅ Room Wi-fi: strong
Contact & Address
Email: s.elisabetta.fi@tiscali.it
Tel.: (39)055-6811884
Website: https://www.csse-roma.com/domy-wypoczynkoweangielski
Address: Viale Michelangiolo, 46, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
How to get there:
From Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station (Firenze SMN), use Google maps for direction –
➤ 22 minutes by bus (bus #C4 to Michelangiolo Ferrucci stop, then 5 minutes walk up the Viale Michelangiolo; check Google maps for other options)
➤ 10-20 minutes by taxi depending on traffic
How the Santa Elisabetta convent building and front door look like (No. 46 on the right):
Casa per Ferie Regina del Santo Rosario
The Suore di San Filippo Neri operates the Casa per Ferie Regina del Santo Rosario which is located north of the Florence town center.
Highlights
The guest house has 2 doubles, 18 singles, 6 of the rooms have a private bath, others have 2 singles sharing a bathroom. I had one of these singles with a shared bathroom when I stayed in 2018.
The sisters who interacted with me at the reception and dining hall were nice and can speak good English.
There is a breakfast room, sitting areas, TV room. The living areas are furnished with antique or turn-of-the previous century furnishings.
The convent has a small garden in the back with tables and chairs.
There is a washing machine in one of the outbuildings in the backyard – one of the sisters can help you figure out the settings.
No parking available on convent grounds – but there’s public parking close by – ask the sisters.
The Casa per Ferie Regina del Santo Rosario is less than a mile north of Piazza della Signoria (17-18 minutes on foot) or 18 minutes by bus (#23 Santissima Annunziata).
Lodging Summary for Casa per Ferie Regina del Santo Rosario
| Bed & breakfast rate (single): | €47 in 2018 |
| Distance from city center: | ✅✅✅ |
| Breakfast: | ✅ |
| Wi-Fi: | ✅ ✅ |
| Check-in: | from 10:30 am |
| Check-out: | by 10:30 am |
| Curfew: | ? |
| Credit cards: | Yes |
| Luggage storage: | Yes |
| Laundry facility: | Yes |
| Onsite parking: | No. Ask for options. |
| Elevator: | No |
| Ensuite bathroom: | Yes / Others have shared |
| Wardrobe/drawers in room: | Yes |
| Desk/chair in room: | Yes |
LEGEND:
Distance from the city center or main attractions
✅ Must drive or take taxi/multiple bus/train ride
✅✅ Within 30-minute walk or short bus/train ride
✅✅✅ Within 15-minute walk
Breakfast offering
❌ No breakfast offered
✅ Basic: coffee, milk, juice, bread, jams, cereal, fruit
✅✅ Basic plus protein: above plus eggs or some meat
✅✅✅ Sumptuous breakfast buffet
Wi-fi coverage
❌ No Wi-fi
✅ Wi-fi only in common areas
✅✅ Room Wi-fi: adequate
✅✅✅ Room Wi-fi: strong
Contact & Address
Email-1: info@casareginadelsantorosario.it
Email-2: crsrfirenze@gmail.com
Tel.: (39)055-2477636
Website: http://www.casareginadelsantorosario.it/eng/
Address: Via Giuseppe Giusti, 35, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy
How to get there:
From Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station (Firenze SMN), use Google maps for direction –
➤ 21 minutes walk (1 mile)
➤ 12 minutes by bus (bus #6 and #14 to Santissima Annunziata stop, then 4 minutes walk Via G. Giusti; check Google maps for other options)
➤ 8-16 minutes by taxi depending on traffic
How the Casa per Ferie Regina del Santo Rosario convent building and front door look like (No. 35 on the right):
Related Posts
You don’t have to be Christian or religious to stay at an Italian convent or monastery. Find out if these safe, economical, and peaceful lodgings are right for you.
Take this 2-mile Firenze sightseeing walk and watch the sunset over The Florence Skyline from San Miniato al Monte.
Restaurants aren’t the only places where you can satisfy your gustatory longing for Italian cuisine. Markets are a great place for food finds – check out my post Alternative Dining at the Central Market or “Mercato Centrale”.
Get the story The Medici: Benefactors Of Your Sightseeing In Florence
Check my post on 10 Italian Words and 6 Survival Phrases for non-Italian Speakers
I use simple, inexpensive, but useful tools for travel. Find out what I pack for my trips.
Visit the Italy page for more stories and travel tips …
BELLA ITALIA
Fascinating ancient stories.
Practical travel tales and tips.
Let’s go! Andiamo! Abeamus! Vamonos! Tayo Na! Ikimashou!
