The Ruspoli Bonaparte Residence: From Ancestral Palazzo to Luxury Hotel

Princess Giacinta Ruspoli and her mother, Princess Maria Pia, have opened their 16th-century family palazzo in central Rome to paying guests. The property, marketed as the Ruspoli Bonaparte Residence, blends five-star hotel services with the décor of a Renaissance palace. It offers four expansive suites—each over 1,000 sq ft—with butler service, breakfast, and optional private meals prepared by in-suite chefs. The entire palazzo can also be rented for events, starting at roughly €4,000 (about $4,700) per night.

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The Ruspoli lineage traces back to the Middle Ages and claims connections to Charlemagne. The family amassed wealth through Vatican ties, influencing several popes and even a saint. In the 1820s, Emperor Napoleon III lived in the residence with his mother, Hortense de Beauharnais, who commissioned many of the palace’s artworks. A separate rural estate, Castello Ruspoli in Cerveteri, was historically a hunting retreat and defensive lookout; it is being renovated as a boutique hotel with ten suites.

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Nightly rates for the Rome suites start at about $470, inclusive of butler service and breakfast. Additional amenities—private chefs, beauty services, and exclusive tours—are billed separately. The Castello Ruspoli, once opened to guests, will charge rates comparable to the city property. Both locations feature historic interiors such as marble staircases, frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and rooms furnished with onyx, malachite, and antique tapestries.

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Princess Giacinta describes the venture as a means to fund the “overwhelmingly expensive” upkeep required for a protected historic building, noting that each renovation must clear extensive paperwork from Italian art authorities. She emphasizes that the family sees themselves as custodians rather than owners, aiming to share the palazzo’s heritage with travelers who seek a “princely sojourn.” The princesses also highlight the opportunity for guests to experience both Rome’s urban grandeur and the tranquil countryside of Cerveteri.

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• “We consider ourselves as mere keepers of palazzo Ruspoli Bonaparte, we do not like to say we are the owners of it,” — Princess Giacinta

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• “My family wants to share all this beauty we have been gifted with everyone else. It comes imbued with a unique chunk of Italy’s history and traditions. We do not live shut in our castello, we like to mingle with people by opening the doors of our very home.” — Princess Giacinta

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• “On weekends we take our guests staying in Rome over to visit the Cerveteri castle, and upon request, they can have exclusive dinners in the loggia with the best authentic dishes of this area,” — Giacinta. She

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