Castello Bevilacqua

Guests enter through a long drive flanked with pine trees, and pass through an atrium-style enclosed passageway before reaching the main entrance of the castle. All the furniture is antique, adding to the castle's romantic ambience. The reception area is authentic, with a beautiful Murano glass chandelier and golden-gilded mirrors and picture frames offset by windows with heavy tasseled curtains. The hallway, too, is elegant, full of old mahogany furniture, giant oil paintings, a gargantuan Chinese vase, and a miniature scene built into a wall that depicts castle life hundreds of years ago. The elevator is also regal, with marble siding and a gold-framed mirror. Manicured lawns and hedgerows surround the castle, and a gazebo encased in vines makes a good outdoor retreat in the summer months. This ornate and almost mystical ambience makes the castle a popular choice with vacationing couples and wedding parties, although its numerous conference and meeting spaces make it a decent option for business travelers and as a venue for corporate retreats. 

This historic property was built in the early 14th century by the Bevilacqua family. It was originally created as a fortress, but was damaged and ended up instead being turned into a residence in 1532. In the 18th century, one of the Bevilacqua descendants restored the property, which was later set on fire by the Austrians in 1848. After multiple restorations and a short German occupation during the second World War, the castle became the Salesin College, only to catch fire and be abandoned. In 1990, it was bought by private investors and refurbished into the hotel that it is today. 

The castle is in the town center of Bevilacqua, near restaurants, bars, and shops. Verona and Vicenza are each a 45-minute drive away, and Padua is about an hour's drive. The Gardaland amusement park is an hour away, and  Venice is about an hour and 15 minutes away by car. The Verona Villafranca Airport can be reached in about 45 minutes, Venice Marco Polo Airport is about a 70- minute drive, and the Milan Airport is a two-hour drive. 

The Castello has seven rooms, all of which are called Junior Suites. Each is individually styled with antique period furniture, and although the overall atmosphere is 14th century, rooms do come with coffeemakers and flat-screen TVs, as well as air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms have separate tubs and showers, or shower/tub combos, and many come with whirlpool tubs big enough for two. All come with hairdryers and bidets, and some showers have handles for accessibility. The artwork in the rooms includes a medieval-style diptych in the Junior Suite Royal and the multiple frescoes in the Junior Suite Superior Generale La Masa. Rooms on higher floors require climbing multiple steps; guests with limited mobility should request other rooms. But light sleepers who don't mind the steps may prefer the upstairs rooms to avoid the noise from creaky floors. 

The red-brick medieval dungeon of a meeting room has arched ceilings and an old baroque desk, as well as a projection screen, and can hold up to 25 people. There's also a conference room. The property, with its multiple banquet rooms, is a popular spot for fairytale weddings. The Salone delle Feste, or festivities room, has beautiful chandeliers and tall windows with elegant drapes. The smaller Sala degli Affreschi has one long table and a colorful glass chandelier, as well as beautiful old oil paintings on the walls. The Sala degli Scudi has a medieval theme and a few smaller tables, and the Sala Felicita has chandeliers and exposed wooden beam walls as well as still-life oil paintings. 

Cantina di Bacco, the hotel's rustic wine cellar, is filled with old wine barrels and holds wine-tastings, with seating for six. The old red-brick walls of the All'Antica Ala Restaurant are festooned with armor and medieval-style weaponry, and could easily serve as a movie set. The restaurant serves dinner every night and lunch on Sundays -- lunch during the week can be arranged by appointment. The restaurant offers both a la carte and fixed menus, including a children's menu. Don't expect lots of pizzas and pasta, though. This is fine-dining, and main courses might include guinea foul and apple-stuffed rabbit. The restaurant also hosts live entertainment featuring costumed actors from time to time, which is a big hit with guests, even those who don't understand Italian. Parking and Wi-Fi are both free.