House number seven on a side street in Bologna hides behind a saffron-colored wall. Bars protect the windows on the ground floor, the wooden front door is locked. But the impression is deceptive. The “Casa Bertagni” is waiting to draw visitors into its stories. You just have to ring the bell.
The elegant building with the mighty ginkgo tree in the courtyard belongs to Guido Carlo Vincenzi, architect and last descendant of the Bertagni pasta empire. His grandparents Pietro and Antonietta, a chemist and a painter, had the house built in 1949. “You always had interesting guests, an international circle of friends,” says Vincenzi. He lived in the house alone for a few years, then in 2015 he converted six of the rooms into hotel rooms. Each is a collage of antiques, Vincenzi’s own designs and sculptures by artist friends.
About 90,000 people study at the University of Bologna today, making it the third largest in Italy. But it is known for another reason: it is considered the oldest in Europe.
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He has repurposed many heirlooms: chairs covered with his mother’s furs, grandparents’ skis screwed to the wall as decoration. A picture frame hangs over a bed: “It belonged to a painting that was stolen from the chapel of our country estate,” says Vincenzi. “The Carabinieri just brought back the frame.”
Vincenzi is an attentive host. There are filled candy bowls in the rooms and he has laid out books on a table in the hallway, each guest can take one home as a souvenir. As if the stories here weren’t exciting enough.
Casa Bertagni
Via GB De Rolandis 7
40126 Bologna (BO)
Italy
Phone 0039/051/24 45 00
Double room from 193 euros/night including breakfast