It's our second installment of our Off the Beaten Path series and in this episode we're talking about Architectural Madness. In particular, the Rocchetta Mattei. A fever dream mash-up of Moorish, Italian Art Nouveau, and Medieval styles in a 19th century mountaintop castle between Bologna and Florence.

What started out as a dream and a sanatorium became a life-long project, and then a second life-long project.

As mentioned in the episode, Rocchetta Mattei is reachable from Florence and Bologna, perfect for a day-trip if you've already knocked a lot off the rest of your list.

If you’re looking to book a hotel in Florence, we recommend the three below:

FH55 Hotel Calzaiuoli: -well-situated, traditional and luxuriously cozy- Expedia | Booking

Albergo Firenze: -incredible location, 24hr front desk- Expedia | Booking

Hotel La Scaletta Al Ponte Vecchio: -other side of the river, bright, open, with a terrace overlooking the city of Florence- Expedia | Booking

If you're looking to book a hotel in Bologna, we recommend the hotels below:

Hotel Metropolitan -upscale, in the city center - Expedia | Booking

Hotel Panorama - budget option in the city center - Expedia | Booking

Starhotels Excelsior - near the train station - Expedia | Booking

These hotel links are affiliate links, and while we don’t represent any of the companies listed, we do receive a small commission if you book a hotel through any of the links.

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x Darcy and Nathaniel

Only A Bag

Off the Beaten Path: A Blend of Styles in Emilia-Romagna