The way we were: the amazing story behind Hotel Ilaria
Hotel Ilaria can claim one of the most fascinating stories of Lucca.
Our origins date back to 1955, when Franco Barbieri - arriving in Lucca from Sermide (Mantua) with his family - decided to create the Ilaria Hotel in Via del Fosso. We started as just a small 2-star hotel with 16 rooms but our location was already prestigious. Via del Fosso is in fact located within the 16th-century walls and is so called because of the ditch (fossato) it crosses over, which protected the medieval walls in ancient times.
But let’s tell the story in order. 30 years later, in 1988, we bought the building that now hosts us: it’s an historic building, actually the beautiful stables of the Villa Buonvisi (now Villa Bottini), which was the residence of Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister.
Even our name echoes the history of Lucca: Ilaria is in fact none other than Ilaria del Carretto, the second wife of Paolo Guinigi, lord of Lucca from 1400 to 1430.
In 1995 we decided to undertake a major renovation, completed in 1999, which gave life to the current hotel and brought us 4 stars and 30 rooms.
But our story doesn’t end there: in 2004 we also bought the Alba Oratorio, a disused former 14th-century church 50 metres from us, along the city walls. Here we created 11 of the most beautiful rooms of the hotel, while maintaining the allure of the old religious building.
Finally, in 2012 we integrated the 13th-century Torre di San Gervasio into the hotel, creating 3 new rooms. You can still see the original wall in one of them, with blocks in the boulder that surrounded what was then a prison.
Every part of the Hotel Ilaria is pervaded by the charm of Lucca's history. We have done everything to take care of and preserve the original structures: this is why sleeping in these rooms has a very special flavour.
