The magic of a timeless retreat in Italy

BEST OF | Summer 2024

Some places are simply unique. Living in such places is like jumping into a wonderful dream full of unforgettable moments. Imagining these places is not enough, you have to experience them. They come from afar and are enveloped in knowledge and life. Taking the time to experience Corte della Maestà is a privilege. And the most precious gift one can receive.

Corte della Maestà is situated in one of the most beautiful villages in the world called Civita di Bagnoregio, “the dying city”. It is an Italian masterpiece in the Lazio region, just south of the border with Umbria, east of the border with Tuscany. Perched on an outcrop of soft volcanic rock, Civita di Bagnoregio appears to its visitors as a strange island rising eerily from the valley floor, connected to reality only by a long footbridge. Civita presents an irresistible allure to beauty, arts and crafts.

Love at first sight

Corte della Maestà is part of the bishop’s palace built in the XIV century. Paolo Crepet and Cristiana Melis restored this one-of-a-kind building together and opened the property as a Bed and Breakfast in 2013, while keeping the palace (Borgo) as their private home. Describing Corte della Maestà simply as B&B is far too banal. It’s much more. It’s not simply a mediocre accommodation where to stay! It is an eccentric, creative, brilliant, unrivaled showcase, a place to live in, a place to fall in love.

A home of and for Art

Today, Corte della Maestà represents the continuation of the art collection that Paolo Crepet and his wife Cristiana Melis – the most wonderful hosts ever – have been building up for decades. With ancient and contemporary paintings, sacred and secular objects, furniture purchased in antique markets and shops around the world, an incredible collection of mirrors, ceramics and antique carpets, this spectacular ensemble of art objects bears witness to the passion that underlies the decision to create this inimitable place. Corte is a cabinet of wonders where the old and the new, the sacred and the secular come together and become the essence of wonder and beauty.

Nothing left to be desired

Corte della Maestà houses four guest rooms with meaningful names: The Abbess, The Sleepwalker, The Writer, The Intruder. From June on there will be a fifth, very spacious guest room: The “Corte at Lake Bolsena” at a separate address in the small town of Bolsena.

The heart and the soul of Corte della Maestà is its magnificent kitchen. It leads to the wonderful Bishop’s Garden, a magical hideaway full of plants, flowers, niches and surprises. Here, guests are invited for a drink or to have breakfast among hundreds of roses or under flourishing apricot, fig or cherry trees. From time to time Cristiana’s pedigree cute Labradors, Ortensia and Oliva, appear on the scene running happily from here and there and saying “hello” to guests.

Corte della Maestà is a place of passion and love of beauty. It’s all about hospitality at its best and a profound feeling of home. It is a unique, inimitable place of wonder and happiness.

NEWS

On May 7th 2024, Corte della Maestà was awarded three MICHELIN keys at a press conference in Milan: the first hotel rating distinguished by the prestigious MICHELIN Guide. It is a brand-new recognition for the most outstanding hotels across the world. Corte della Maestà is one of only eight hotels in Italy to receive the highest recognition: three MICHELIN keys for “an extraordinary stay”. An outstanding result for an outstanding timeless retreat situated in the historical Civita di Bagnoregio.