Ancient fabrics for the rooms, circular economy of the food – creating a supply chain with local producers. Owner Patrizia Valenti introduces the Bed & Breakfast Boutique
Al Battistero d’Oro, Parma
Located in the center of the town, in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, is Al Battistero d’Oro, Parma. It is defined as a Bed & Breakfast Boutique as it is an eighteenth-century private house that Patrizia Valenti, owner of the structure, made available to her guests and where she and her family still live. Al Battistero d’Oro launched about twelve years ago, when only a few people knew about the existence of bed & breakfast realities.
The area which hosts it is renowned, both in Italy and worldwide, as the home of food, the so-called Food Valley. The production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – which can only take place here due to the quality of the air – as well as the one of hams and cured meats is carried out in this geographical area. Parma is a small town, yet an intellectual one, characterized by precious elements, from the Cathedral and the Baptistery to the Galleria Nazionale di Parma inside the Palazzo della Pilotta and the Teatro Farnese. Further, it is surrounded by ancient castles and by the first hills of the Apennine Mountains.
Design and interiors of Al Battistero d’Oro, Parma
Al Battistero d’Oro is three-hundred-and-fifty square meters – featuring three bedrooms and a living room, which is the most representative space of the house. Here, guests can talk, relax, read a book, not being obliged to stay inside of their rooms the whole day. The structure also includes Valenti’s family furniture pieces belonging to the Eighteenth-century Parma style.
«They were not chosen, but instead they came into my life as, before me, my great-grandparents owned them». Except for the ancient furniture, Valenti has also added some modern antiques. Due to this, the atmosphere has become lighter, more enjoyable and easier to live in. Further, Valenti declares that she furnished her home for herself, not for her guests. A mix of different art movements is to be found.
Lampoon review: Valenti’s vision of hospitality
«Our mission is to make sure that we return to a more normal daily life than the one we have unintentionally fallen into. This is also the reason behind our choice of not putting a television inside the rooms. It feels like recovering a time of life that has now been lost. Our clients talk to each other, they have breakfast together, as there is a specific wing of the house dedicated to it. When they meet, they read or go out together as some of them organize sightseeing tours».
Clients are mainly foreigners – from the USA or Australia. «They take part in this slow movement that characterizes our lifestyle, which is not hectic. We wait for their requests. In this way, after a while, they start asking questions about food, art, the way we think, how we live and appreciate the simplicity of daily life». According to the owner, the concept of hospitality promoted by Al Battistero d’Oro is the aspect that differentiates it from the other structures to be found locally and in Italy, in general. Here, nothing is already established.
Rooms at Al Battistero d’Oro, Parma
Al Battistero d’Oro features three different types of rooms. Each one of them has its own private bathroom and double beds, which can also be divided into two separate ones. Camera Marquise is the latest addition to the portfolio. It is the smallest room out of the three. Its style is essential, minimal, and it is furnished with ancient Chinese pieces, which give it an exotic touch.
While, Camera Duchessa and Reina, Suite a Parma are bigger in size, providing the possibility to implement an additional bed. The three rooms are to be found within a corridor dedicated to the activity of sleeping, next to them the living room as well as the space where guests have breakfast are to be found.
Sustainability at Al Battistero d’Oro
For the cleaning activities, Al Battistero d’Oro relies on specialized stores selling natural products. Everything they use is natural and biological. Valenti remarks that this represents a high cost, but she considers it the best decision for her guests and for the planet as well. As for the culinary proposals, the structure collaborates with local realities, such as bakers who provide them with fresh bread and pastries. Yogurt is locally produced and fruits are always seasonal. For the rooms, Valenti is always searching for ancient fabrics – thick and made with cotton – which are white and can be washed at high temperatures, as they always remain shining – a bright white.
Future development at Al Battistero d’Oro, Parma
The building that hosts Al Battistero d’Oro includes five bedrooms connected to five private bathrooms and a wide area, which goes from the breakfast space to the living rooms. Valenti’s purpose would be to turn the house into a boutique hotel, where she would put the area she is currently living in at her clients’ disposal, while coordinating the activities externally.
Al Battistero d’Oro
Str. Sant’Anna, 22, 43121, Parma (PR)
