Press & Guestbook: dettaglio

29 ottobre 2013

THE OBSERVER

Nothing prepares you for the shock as you walk through the inconspicuous entrance of the Palazzo Abadessa, hidden away in the sleepy backstreets of the Cannaregio district. First there is the lush ornamental garden, then the immense entrance hall decorated with frescoes and ornate stucco, lit by glittering Murano chandeliers. And if the exuberant owner Maria Luisa is around, she'll whisk you into an antique velvet armchair, order a bottle of chilled prosecco and launch into the history of her home, whose original owners provided Venice with two of its doges. She persuaded her husband to buy the 500-year-old palazzo 30 years ago and slowly transformed it from their family home into first a small B&B, then the 15-room hotel it is today.Up on the breathtaking piano nobile (the floor that contains the principal reception rooms), there are framed photos of Maria Luisa and her family alongside precious Renaissance paintings, and when she is out of town it is her son Simone who provides the personal touch. For sure, nothing runs completely smoothly here, but where else could you book a room that has its own wellhead, dated 1540, or sleep in what was once the palace's kitchen - comfortably converted now, but still with an ancient fireplace and stone sink?

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