19.10.2026 11:51
In Italy, Princess Giacinta Ruspoli has opened her family’s 16th-century palace in Rome to tourists in order to cover high maintenance costs. The palace has four luxury suites, with overnight stays starting at $470 (23,300 TL), and breakfast and butler service are also offered. At the historic palace, guests are personally welcomed by the princess and her mother.
The Ruspoli family, one of Italy's longstanding aristocratic families, has opened its historic palace in central Rome to tourism. Princess Giacinta Ruspoli and her mother, Princess Maria Pia, have opened the palace's doors to paid accommodation in order to cover the maintenance and restoration costs of the family property that has stood for centuries.
According to CNN, Princess Giacinta Ruspoli, also known as a lawyer and journalist, manages the historic property while hosting guests together with her mother Maria Pia, a former Sicilian beauty queen.
A NIGHT IN THE PALACE COSTS $470
The historic palace, operating under the name Ruspoli Bonaparte Residence, has four private suites. Each suite, exceeding approximately 100 square meters, features antique furniture, marble decorations, high ceilings and historic fireplaces.
Nightly rates for tourists wishing to stay at the palace start at about $470 (23,300 TL). This price includes breakfast and butler service. Dining with a private chef and personal care services are offered at an additional charge.
For those wishing to rent the entire palace privately, the starting nightly price rises to as much as 4,000 euros (222,000 TL).
"TIMES HAVE CHANGED; WE ARE ONLY THEIR CARETAKERS"
Princess Giacinta Ruspoli said that preserving her family's historic buildings has become increasingly costly and that they have to adapt to changing conditions.
Stating that they see themselves as caretakers of the palace rather than its owners, Ruspoli said they want to share the historical and cultural beauty inherited by their family with others.
The princess emphasized that they prefer to welcome visitors rather than close their palace to the outside world.
NAPOLEON'S FAMILY ALSO LIVED IN THIS PALACE
Located in the historic center of Rome, the palace attracts attention not only for its architecture but also for the people it hosted in the past.
The palace, where Napoleon III, Emperor of France, lived with his mother Hortense de Beauharnais during his childhood years, preserves paintings and artworks bearing traces of the period.
The building, notable for its historic staircases, crystal chandeliers, silk-covered walls and ornate bedrooms, offers tourists the opportunity to closely witness the lives of aristocratic families.
THEY ARE ALSO TURNING A CASTLE INTO A HOTEL
The Ruspoli family has also taken action to open its historic hunting lodge in the town of Cerveteri, about 50 kilometers north of Rome, to tourism.
The structure known as Castello Ruspoli has been restored to be converted into a 10-suite boutique hotel. Private receptions, weddings and events are also held at the historic castle.
NOBILITY TITLES LOST THEIR OFFICIAL STATUS IN ITALY
In Italy, the official recognition of nobility titles ended with the proclamation of the republic in 1946. However, established families such as the Ruspoli continue to preserve their historic properties and family heritage.
Princess Giacinta Ruspoli's statements also highlighted the high costs that come with living in the magnificent palaces of the past.