Tuesday 25 October 2011

Umbria: a journey through olive oil and gastronomic traditions: Opening House at the oil-mills, discovering the territory around Trevi!


October 23rd 2011
Finally the event that everyone was waiting for: the 14th Edition of “Frantoi Aperti” (opening house at the oil-mills)! Come to enjoy these 10 days (from October 29th to November 11th) entirely devoted to the PDO extra virgin olive oil! This event takes place every year in Trevi and surroundings, offering several performances, cultural activities, and, of course, gastronomic specialties! The first week-end of this year edition (Saturday October 29th and Sunday October the 30th) is called “Festivol”: two days totally devoted to the oil and its properties.

It’s also interesting to know that Trevi is one of the most beautiful small town in Umbria (along with Spoleto and Gubbio), also known for its “black” fennel, with extraordinary natural resources both in the valley and the hill.



During “Frantoi Aperti” it will be possible to taste the so-called “new oil” (the new season first oil), to cross all the small shops and markets which offer a free taste of the delicious “bruschette” (a typical Italian dish: toasted bread with oil above!), and to visit the old oil-mills in order to experience the oil production from the olive to the bottle.
There will be a lot of activities at your disposal to help turning your holiday into a special journey: visits to the oil-mill with ad accurate explanation of the oil-making-process, horse rides, picnics, urban trekking itineraries, tours of the old buildings, and even cooking courses to learn how to use the oil with the proper food. For further information click here.

There will be also exhibitions (by Mario Consiglio and Yonel Hidalgo Perez, just to name a few) and music performances.

The nearest place to spend the night? With no doubt the Albornoz Palace Hotel (only 15 minutes away)! Here you can find a highly skilled team which will provide you with a heaven of relaxation and a complete care of the body and the mind. Moreover the hotel in thought to be not only a place to spend the night but also a contemporary art museum, with works of art all over!

Come and experience the green heart of Italy, we are waiting for you!

Contact us for further information!

Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600
e-mail: info@albornozpalace.com
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Sunday 16 October 2011

Art, culture, food tradition, and sport… Umbria, finally the trip you were looking for!


There is nothing better than a trip where art, history, local tradition and culture mix together creating a perfect balance… Well, you can find that in Spoleto, an ancient town which has its roots in the Bronze Age. The perfect place to spend the night? The Albornoz Palace Hotel, of course! It lies close to the ancient wall of the city and it can offer not only a relaxing environment for the guests to enjoy but also a cultural place thanks to the fact that it is a hotel and a contemporary art museum at the same time. The idea of putting works of art all over the hotel began when Sol LeWitt painted the magnificent wall drawing on the walls of the lobby and it went on thanks to the same purpose of several artists who helped decorating the hotel indoor and outdoor spaces with their works of art. From that time on the facility became the focus of attention of the people walking by.
Located in the middle of Umbria and Italy, the Albornoz Palace Hotel is also within a short distance from the most popular destinations such as Assisi, only 35 km away, Perugia and the airport, only 60 km away, Rome, only 120 km away, and Firenze and Rimini only two hours away by car.
The hotel is also working to provide its guests with a haven of relaxation and a complete care of body and mind by a highly skilled team, offering the chance of using the brand new Massage Center THESAN and the Physiotherapic Center under special conditions. But there is more: by 2012 an indoor swimming-pool and a driving range (Golf) will be open. The hotel provides also other services such as: an outdoor swimming pool (free of charge – summertime only), a private garage and parking lot (free of charge), internet access and satellite TV in rooms, hairdryer, safe deposit box and frigobar.

As the winter comes, several activities occur in Umbra such as: the grape picking or the truffle hunt. But winter is not the only suitable time to do the latter. During wintertime (from mid-November till mid-March) in fact the hunt to the so called “precious” truffle take place while during summer (from May till November) there is the “scorzone” one (less precious but still really tasty truffle). Since the request for these kind of activities is growing so much, the Albornoz Palace Hotel wants to provide its customers with such services, giving them the chance to experience the “real” life of the region (contact us for further information!).
In the area of Gualdo Tadino, for example, guests may experience the ancient practice of pig processing. An event during which guests will have the chance to see with their own eyes the process used to turn the pig into sausages, ham, and so on. A wild experience which is growing in interest, especially among tourists.
We also recommend one route among the several itineraries which the region offers: “La Strada dell’Olio” (The olive oil path). Spoleto is related to this rout thanks to the “Frantoi Aperti” event (open oil-mill) from October the 29th till December the 11th. While for those who loves wine, there is the famous “Cantine Aperte” event (open winery) in the area of Montefalco. Here guests will have the chance to see how the wine is made, from the grape picking till the bottling of the precious beverage.
Something was thought for the adventure lovers as well! In Umbria there is in fact the possibility of going rafting through the “Nera” river which crosses the beautiful valley “Valnerina”, hiking, mountain biking and even cycling! For further information do not hesitate to contact us, our team will be at your disposal!
Friday, October the 14th 2011
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600
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Saturday 8 October 2011

EUROCHOCOLATE - Perugia: from October the 14th till the 23rd! If you can’t help but being guilty of the sin of gluttony, don’t miss these delicious 9 days!




We know that chocolate is a byword for good mood! We learned that as children, thanks to the reaction of our taste buds to the taste of chocolate and then we understood the scientific mechanism as adults: chocolate consumption stimulates the release mechanism of the endorphin, the substance responsible for good mood. But there is more: according to a study carried out by the British Medical Journal, eating chocolate reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases by a third.
It also imperative to remember how life can be stressful, leaving no time for the ”sweet side” of it! To avoid this trend, Perugia has been organizing this amazing “chocolate” event for 18 years: the program is rich in events, attracting people from all over the world! That is why it is becoming more important year by year, almost as important as Valentine’s day or Easter!
It is interesting to know that the organization introduced a “card” with which people can benefit from discounts on prices among several businesses that take part in the event. The card costs 6 Euros and a small gift is included.
On Sunday, October the 16th four sculptors on behalf of Nestlè will work on enormous chocolate blocks (5 cubic meter weighing 11 quintal each), showing their artistic creativity! The topic of this year is: “living not only through memories”.
The Chocolate Show presents tons of chocolate products (gluten free as well): here you can find a list of all the exhibitors. If you want to enjoy the event and relax at the same time in a hotel with all the modern comforts but also a touch of style, we recommend you the Albornoz Palace Hotel of Spoleto, which is only 40 minutes away by car from Perugia. Albornoz Palace Hotel an oasis for unforgettable stays in Umbria!!
Friday, October 7th 2011
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600
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Wednesday 5 October 2011

The Albornoz Palace Hotel takes part in a movie about Sol LeWitt



The mural painted on the walls of the lobby of the Albornoz Palace Hotel by Sol LeWitt, a famous American artist, will be on a movie, which is a documentary on the artist’s life made by the Dutch director Chris Teerink. The wall drawing of which we are talking about is “Archi da un angolo” – 1992.
This painting was born by coincidence: the owner of the Hotel wasn’t happy with the former walls colors (pink and grey), so he asked to the artist if he could thought about something more vivid and lively. After a first refusal, Sol LeWitt came back with 4 sketches (now hung on the restaurant walls). Once the ultimate painting was defined, it was realized in a short period of time and finally opened in 1992.
The wall drawing was painted on two opposing walls in order “to contain” the space in-between: pure and bright colors, which form lines framed by four black squares.  A magnificent mural, which has a strong impact on the arriving guests, identifying once again the artistic vocation of the Hotel.
Since 1992 the Sol LeWitt’s wall drawing is delighting guests and it is right with this work of art that the “Progetto Atelier” (Atelier Poject) was born, the new artistic philosophy created in order to involve artist, art lovers and guests of the Hotel in an ever-innovating environment.
Wednesday, March 30th 2011
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600
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Franco Summa decorated a room of the Albornoz Palace Hotel: “La vita è sogno – La vita è segno”


“La vita è sogno – La vita è segno”. That means more or less: life is a dream – life is leaving your mark.
What an unusual name for a four star hotel room in Umbria. However guests can’t help but being charmed by the atmosphere of this room: light-blue lights, ultramarine blue walls and cerulean blue curtains. The ceiling is plenty of words, where the “o” letters become parts of a sky covered with polychromic stars. It comes naturally to start reading and thinking. It is clear to the guest the recall to Calderon de la Barca’s book “La vita è sogno” (life is a dream). So life is dreaming but also leaving a mark: our dreams, thoughts and plans become marks, that we are living behind us for the world, the descendents, the eternity to see. The artist creates through lights and colors an atmosphere, which surround the guest with a dimension where the dream dominates the reality: a reality made of dreams and marks chasing each other. This is a new perspective for Spoleto and for the entire Italy.
An intense emotion for a weekend or a working-trip in Umbria that will be more pleasant thanks to the philosophy of the Hotel: a special wellness sensation.
The sculptor is Franco Summa (1938), a worldwide famous artist, who changed the art conception and its expression forms during his career. At the end of the ’60s he started to develop a new art form defined “democratic”, which was meant to involve the whole public in an active, direct and creative way.
So his art is meant to be opened to the guests of the Albornoz Palace Hotel as well, who will find his philosophy all through the room, which was expressly decorated to reflect this idea.
We must also say that Franco Summa is a strong supporter of the so called “environmental art”, which is meant to interact with the space used for the sculpture and to connect with the surrounding panorama.
The room “La vita è sogno – La vita è segno” of the Albornoz Palace Hotel was created with this philosophy: in the exterior wall in fact a red lines was painted, that serve as a frame for the romantic San Pietro Extra Moenia church, one of the oldest church in town.
Thursday, March 24th 2011
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600

ALBORNOZ JEWELLERY: a new challenge for the “Progetto Atelier” (Atelier Project)


A new idea has been developed for the “Progetto Atelier”: Albornoz Jewellery. This is the result of a partnership between the artists, the Albornoz Palace Hotel and the goldsmiths of Spoleto. This collaboration was thought to create unique pieces of jewellery designed by artists of the “Progetto Atelier”. This is an important step for the Albornoz Palace Hotel. We are in fact exploring an art field that is new for us and that is why we asked for the help of one of the most famous artist worldwide: Ettore Consolazione.
Ettore Consolazione has already made a sculpture for the Hotel, “Sciame” (Cluster), placed outside. He is a sculptor, who can count in his career a lot of exhibitions (the “Biennale” of Venezia and the “Sculpture Center” of New York just to name a few). Now, for this project only, Ettore Consolazione turned itself into a jewellery designer opening this new adventure.
Yesterday the first meeting took place to decide which work of art, among several artist’s sketches (one of them is the picture above), will be realized.
The production of the first piece of jewellery is on the go and several numbered copies will follow in order to enrich the high recognition of the Atelier Project Collection. That is a perfect marriage between the art and the exclusivity of gold. Finally we had the change of putting into execute a project carefully thought, showing to our guests another peculiarity of the Albornoz Palace Hotel. Our aim is in fact to create a unique jewellery collection, as unique as the Albornoz Palace Hotel.
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600
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Friday 30 September 2011

The “Casa degli Artisti” (artists’ house): a utopia soon to be reality



Do you remember Le Corbusier’s Utopia describing a place for the artists support by a patron? Well, that is soon to be a reality: a building right near the Albornoz Palace Hotel will soon be opened and it will be used to host all the artists that are willing to enrich the collection of the Atelier Project.
The building was projected by the architect Fulvio Bazzani and the sculptor Nicola Carrino and it was conceived to be a huge sculpture: a 90 square meters cube covered with corten steel plates and surrounded with water. A perfect marriage between art and architecture. But there is more: the construction of an auditorium is on the go and the idea is developing of turning the entire structure into a center that will be able to host visual art, theatrical shows, musical performances and ballets.
This is a huge step for the Albornoz Palace Hotel that has once again shown its prestige.
Wednesday, March 27th 2011
If you want to explore the exhibition of the works of art of the Albornoz Palace Hotel please click here.
Follow us on facebook, where you will find pictures of the artists, our exhibition programs and a preview of our projects!
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600

The Albornoz Palace Hotel becomes the "new home" for the "Balletto di Spoleto" (Spoleto Ballet)




Finally the Spoleto Ballet has the chance to come back to its hometown: Spoleto, Umbria. It had in fact its base in Rom for 11 years.
The Spoleto Ballet was founded in 1992 as an activity connected with the “Teatro Lirico Sperimentale” (Experimental Opera House) of Spoleto by the dancer and choreographer Fiorenza d’Alessandro. The Spoleto Ballet won a great number of awards but it was moved to Rom in 2000 due to an underfunding.
The new President, also producer and composer, Marco Schiavoni brought the ballet back to its “natural environment” just a few days ago. Fiorenza d’Alessandro and Caterina Genta, actress, dancer and new artistic director of the project, are working along with him throughout this path.
The Company has a state aid but it’s also funded by the Mibac (the Italian Department for cultural goods and activities). There are several different projects on the go, some of them should be released in autumn 2011. A debate with artists and politicians should take place on March the 27th (The theater world Day) in order to discuss the future of the theater. This will be not only a “fresh start” for the Spoleto Ballet but also another piece on the already affirmed artistic reality of the Albornoz Palace Hotel, which has always been a place of art and for the art. The “Danza ContemporaneaMente” group is in fact already working there for several years.
Monday, February 28th 2011
For more information about the artistic activity of the Albornoz Palace Hotel click here.
For further information please contact us:
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600
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Thursday 15 September 2011

Why did we decide to include art in our Hotel?



How can be a Hotel defined? If you look up in the dictionary you will find that a Hotel “is a building where people pay to stay and eat meals”. It is a building where travelers used to stay any time they needed a rest from their journey. A Hotel is an infrastructure born when men have begun to travel both for business and religious purposes. At that time travelers needed a place to rest, to wash and to eat. Starting from the XIX Century, as the tourism grows, men began to travel not only for working-related reasons but also for pleasure. From that time on the Hotel has been conceived as we know it today: a place where you can enjoy your holidays.
As costumers change, the Hotel changes too: nowadays it isn’t the quantity of the services that makes the difference but rather the quality of them. But how can a tourist choose among all the ideas that the market has to offer?
The Albornoz Palace Hotel in Spoleto, Umbria, has the answer: here the tourist can enjoy the emotion of living into works of art.
The Albornoz Palace Hotel was founded in the early ‘90s as a four star hotel with a congress centre in order to lodge a high number of guests during cultural and art events like the Festival dei due Mondi (the Festival of the two Worlds). During the years the Hotel changes its look putting several works of art practically into every free spot: rooms, the parking-lot, the wellness center, the lobby, the congress center , the swimming-pool, the park and even the elevator.
Besides the Albornoz Palace Hotel hosts theatrical, musical, dancing and poetry events.
This kind of politics has been conceived to advertise the art and the various activities that the Hotel has to offer and it’s called Progetto Atelier (Atelier Project). That is why the Albornoz Palace Hotel has to be seen not only as a simple hotel but also as a holder of artistic experimentations that are constantly evolving.
Friday, January 28th 2011
Why don’t you try to sleep inside a work of art? Look up in our Photogallery!
For further information please contact us:
Albornoz Palace Hotel
Address: 16 Viale G. Matteotti
06049 Spoleto (PG)
Italy
Phone number: +39-0743-221-221
Fax: +39-0743-221-600
Follow us on facebook too!