In a fabulous setting on the top of Mount Conero, the Hotel Monteconero enjoys a splendid panorama. From the remote origins of Christianity, hidden in its woodlands, the headland of the Conero has given shelter to hermits for centuries. Records date back to 1038 when the church of St. Peter was donated to some Benedictine monks for the construction of a monastery. In 1203 the first cloister was added to the side of the church. The Benedictine communities of St. Peter and St. Benedict, already in existence in the foothills of the promontory, lived in peace on the site until the end of the 15th century. In 1506 Fra Desiderio enlarged the small hermitage near the grotto of St. Benedict.

    

 

 

 

 

 

In 1518 the Bishop of Ancona, Cardinal Pietro Accolti, entrusted the by-now decadent monastery of St. Peter to a hermitical community of St Maria Gonzaga (known as Gonzaghiani). A fire deliberately set to the monastery of St. Peter in 1558 forced the Gonzaghiani to abandon the building. The Bishop of Ancona, De Lucchis, invited the Camaldolite monks to restore the monastery. The work was terminated in 1561 and the they moved into the refurbished abbey. At the end of the 17th century the complex had already acquired a well defined structure. Surrounded by a wall, the complex is divided into two distinct areas: the southern part with the hermitical cells lined up in two rows of small, regular-shaped buildings separated by their respective gardens and the guest rooms, whilst the northern part, inside the main gate, includes the Romanesque style church of St. Peter and the monastery buildings lined up on both sides. In 1864 the Camaldolites abandoned the hermitage.

 

    The Commune of Sirolo then took over, handing over the monastery, except for a small part, to the Marchetti family in 1880. In 1914 the Marchetti family sold its part of the complex to the Soderini Caraffa D'Andria family. In 1932 the part of the complex still belonging to the Commune was rented to the Melappioni family who opened their restaurant business. In 1958 the Melappioni family bought the entire complex from the Commune and the Caraffa d'Andria family and transformed it into a hotel. For over three generations the family has run the Hotel which now has 48 bedrooms and 9 suites recently renovated and luxuriously furnished with every comfort; halls for meetings and banquets, a tennis court and swimming pool, and the possibility to play golf at the nearby Conero Golf Club ( 7km away) with which the Hotel enjoys special terms.

The restaurant enjoys a fabulous panoramic view of the surroundings whilst offering delicious specialties of the Marche region's cuisine accompanied by carefully selected local wines. As well as peaceful strolls along the mountain tracks, that now form part of a Regional Park, you can visit the nearby towns and villages, which are of noteworthy cultural interest. The beaches of the Conero Riviera are only 4/5km away

 

 

 

Hotel Monteconero

I-60020 Sirolo(AN)

Tel: +39 071 9330592

Fax: +39 071 9330365