Staying in a convent in Sicily

Collegio di Maria di Palermo al Giusino convent in Palermo

It sounds like an incredibly charming notion. Staying in a convent in Italy while on vacation. And, you can do it, if you like. Convents and monasteries all over Europe (especially in Italy, France and Spain) rent out rooms to visitors in order to supplement their income.

But, your reality may be quite different from what you envision. 

Here's our experience.

Kitchenette in our room

We stayed four days in Palermo at the Collegio di Maria di Palermo al Giusino convent. The location is ideal, just off the main drag in central Palermo, we walked almost everywhere, including the cathedral, opera house, and waterfront (thought the waterfront is a bit of a hike).

And, it's cheap. We paid about fifty dollars a night. But, be forewarned, the sisters don't take credit cards, cash only please.

The rooms? Let's just say they are spartan. Like, vow of poverty spartan. Two small beds were strategically placed at opposite ends of the room to avoid temptation. The room was also equipped with a small stove and a rickety table and chairs which would have to be moved if we wanted to open the door of the stove. We didn't. We ate out.

Dry fountain in the courtyard, filled with rock

There's also a courtyard with a nonfunctional fountain. A few chairs are scattered around along with discarded furniture and some dead potted plants. I did spend an hour one afternoon sitting there reading a book.

To get to the convent, you go down an alley. We were walking, but we saw some cars navigate the narrow corridor with difficulty because of where some cars were parked. Also, the alleyway isn't the very nicest part of Palermo. It's not dangerous, and we never felt unsafe, it's just not pretty. A lot was fenced off with the rubble of a destroyed building behind it and no signs that any clean up was imminent. There were no street lights on the alley either, so it can be a dark at night.

Alley leading to Collegio di Maria di Palermo al Giusino convent in Palermo

Sister Bernadette checked us in and was very nice, but she was literally the only nun we saw during our stay and we only saw her at check in. In fact, we didn't see another human at the convent during our whole stay. Other guests might have been staying there, but we never say them. In fact, after four days, I still never saw the church and couldn't tell you where it is.

Abandoned lot near Collegio di Maria di Palermo al Giusino convent in Palermo

If you go: Monastery Stays is a good website to search for monasteries and convents in Europe. You don't have to be Catholic, or even religious to stay, but you may not be allowed to stay in a room with a double bed if you are not married. Some places are stricter than others about curfew. 
***
If you enjoyed this story, you might like my novel Truffle Hunt
Order the Truffle Hunt ebook at Amazon
Order a softcover copy of Truffle Hunt at Eckhartz Press