Convento Francescano

Ref. 1796 – CONVENTO FRANCESCANO

Frosinone – Frosinone – Lazio www.romolini.co.uk/en/1796

Interiors Bedrooms Bathrooms 1,000 sqm 10+ 8+

Land 1,600 sqm

REFERENCE #: 1796 – CONVENTO FRANCESCANO TYPE: 14th-century medieval convent CONDITIONS: partially restored LOCATION: historic center, very panoramic MUNICIPALITY: Frosinone PROVINCE: Frosinone REGION: Lazio INTERIORS: 1,000 square meters (10,760 square feet) TOTAL ROOMS: 20+ BEDROOMS: 10+ BATHROOMS: 8+ MAIN FEATURES: stone walls, original terracotta floors, wooden beams, moldings, coffered ceilings, cloister with columned walkways, Italian garden, original cistern, panoramic park LAND: 1,600 square meters (0.4 acres) GARDEN: yes, well-maintained ANNEXES: storage room ACCESS: excellent SWIMMING POOL: no ELECTRICITY: already connected WATER SUPPLY: mains water TELEPHONE: already connected ADSL: yes GAS: municipal network HEATING SYSTEM: fireplaces

Frosinone (17km; 20’), Sora (21km; 25’), Cassino (52km; 50’), Terracina (65km; 1h), Sperlonga (67km; 1h 20’), Latina (70km; 1h 15’), Formia (71km; 1h 20’), San Felice Circeo (77km; 1h 20’), Rome (105km; 1h 15’), L’Aquila (118km; 1h 40’), Naples (142km; 1h 40’)

Roma Ciampino (94km; 1h), Roma Fiumicino (120km; 1h 20’), Napoli Capodichino (136km; 1h 30’)

Located in a panoramic position at the border of a characteristic medieval hamlet in the province of Frosinone we find this 14th-century stone monastery. The building (1,000 sqm) is partially restored and is mainly used as a location for events, but with a few works the whole structure could be converted into a boutique hotel with 10+ bedrooms. The medieval hamlet offers all the necessary services (supermarkets, pharmacies, post office) and allows quickly reaching several cities of Lazio, both towards the hinterland and towards the sea (Frosinone, Cassino, Terracina, Sperlonga, Formia, San Felice Circeo, Rome…). Even Na- ples is less than two hours away. The closest airports are Rome Ciampino and Fiumicino (1h 10’), but Naples can easily be reached in roughly 1h 30’.

The convent (roughly 1,000 sqm in total) is leaned against St. Francis’s Church, no longer con- secrated and owned by the municipality. The building is covered in beautiful frescoes from differ- ent centuries and is nowadays an art gallery and museum. The convent itself encloses the beautiful central cloister and offers several halls (ideal for events), 10 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. Restoring the remaining portion of the building would allow converting more rooms into bedrooms to increase the hosting capability of the complex.

The convent was built in 1337 by the Franciscan monks on a plot of land donated to the friars by several noblemen of the town. The order kept possession of the monastery until 1927, when the property was ultimately abandoned and passed into private hands. The church was then trans- ferred by the owning family to the municipality in the 1970s.

The building has been partially restored and still boasts all the typical features commonly found in medieval monasteries (among which original terracotta floors, wooden beams, coffered ceilings, stone fireplaces…). The finishes have been carefully preserved and, where needed, original mate- rial have been used as a replacement. The ample halls are covered with beautiful coffered ceilings, while the floors are tiled with terracotta bricks, original as well. Those rooms in need of a restoration have been left in their original state: this means the finishes are still present and visible and only need to be cleaned and recovered to bring the building back to its original splendor. The entryway to the monastery is highlighted by a vaulted archway bearing the emblem of the Fri- ars Minor. Proceeding inside one ends up in the unique portico encircling the cloister and through a series of rooms one can finally reach the panoramic terraced garden located on the other side of the building.

The external walls are worth a quick analysis since they are made out of stone and double as ramparts for the medieval town and the convent ended up being built right over one of the doors granting access to the city. A watchtower, nowadays embedded in the monastery, is well-visible to the left of the doorway.

As for all the convents, the building boasts a beautiful internal cloister, nowadays decorated with a peculiar Italian garden (150 sqm) and surrounded by a beautiful covered loggia with vaulted ceilings. Right below the cloister is located an original rainwater cistern, recently restored.

Outside on both sides, on the other hand, the convent features two more panoramic gardens. The first and amplest of the two (1,300 sqm) is located to the left of the building and comes in the form of an Italian garden, well-maintained and crossed by paved walkways. This garden is the perfect frame for outdoor events, such as weddings and conferences. A small shed (15 sqm) is used as a storage room. The second one (300 sqm), reached via a peculiar hallway located above the entrance archway to the medieval town, is smaller and is landscaped as a shaded garden, ideal to relax in the pleasant summer days.

The monastery, thanks to its ample halls and the beautiful decorations, is occasionally used as a location for events and ceremonies. The complete restoration of the complex would easily allow converting it into a boutique hotel, while at the same time keeping the door open to host events, conferences and ceremonies.