Design

Grand Hotel della Posta (SO)

by Lavinia Colonna Preti
Grand Hotel della Posta (SO) — Lombardia Secrets

In Sondrio, a Grand Hotel that has kept the charm of its long history intact since its opening in 1862, once an obligatory stop for the carriages that passed along the ancient Strada Regina, the pulsating hub of the social and cultural history of Valtellina.

Located right in the center in the main square, the atmosphere that reigns “al Posta”, as it is affectionately called by the locals, is the elegant and timeless one of late 19th-century travelers with its majestic facade, the revolving door and the large foyer.

Built at the behest of Francesco Foianini, the hotel immediately performed an important function for the city, as the only stop and maintenance point for carriages in the area, as well as the headquarters of the post office, from which it took its name, of the telegraph and the Railway Baggage Agency.

Grand Hotel della Posta (SO) — Lombardia Secrets
Grand Hotel della Posta (SO) — Lombardia Secrets

When you get into a hotel room, you lock the door, and you know there is a secrecy, there is a luxury, there is fantasy. There is comfort. There is reassurance.

(Diane Simone Michelle Halfinvon von Fürstenberg)

In 1896 the Hotel passed by inheritance to the Vitali family, who carried on the business, until in 1947 the engineer Enrico Vitali sold it to Banca Piccolo Credito Valtellinese. The structure underwent a careful restoration from 2006 to 2008 which brought to light its original details, including frescoes, wooden beams and ceilings, decorated doors and the magnificent staircase.

Since then, in addition to providing it with refined furniture belonging to the same era as its foundation, it has been decorated with works from the modern and contemporary art collection of Credito Valtellinese, among which a vast collection by the famous Arturo Martini, the greatest sculptor of the twentieth century, with its beautiful green patinated bronzes from the Trilogy of Kings series and absolute masterpieces such as La Pisana, as well as other works such as the Magnetic Walls by Takis, or the interpretations of the Last Supper by Filippo Avalle and Daniel Spoerri.

Grand Hotel della Posta (SO) — Lombardia Secrets

All 38 rooms tell of the magnificent past of this hotel, especially the ones on the first floor which retain period details and frescoed ceilings, and those with forest green walls, orange accents and 19th-century wooden furniture with a terrace that overlooks the beautiful Piazza Garibaldi.

The offer of the structure is completed by the 1862 Ristorante della Posta, which enhances the raw materials and wines of the Valtellina area, the Felix Caffè, inspired by the literal cafés of the past, the meeting place par excellence in Sondrio to sip a tea an aperitif prepared by expert barmen, and the breakfast room with large windows overlooking the hotel’s summer garden.

Grand Hotel della Posta (SO) — Lombardia Secrets
Grand Hotel della Posta (SO) — Lombardia Secrets

The spa area is beautiful, also open to external guests, with a hydromassage pool, steam baths, emotional shower and sauna, as well as the suggestive event rooms located in the ancient vaulted rooms of the building, once used as a cooling cellar.

The Grand Hotel della Posta is the perfect starting point for exploring all the beauties of Valtellina, first of all the Bernina Red Train which leaves from Tirano, just half an hour from Sondrio, the Nebbiolo’s terraced vineyards of the Convent of San Lorenzo, dating back to 1100, and the beautiful chalets and period buildings, such as Palazzo Vertemate Franchi, in nearby Valchiavenna.

The Secret

The current foyer of the hotel corresponded to a large hall that carriages used to cross whilst heading to the internal courtyard of the building where the stables for changing horses and other kinds of maintenance were located.

Useful Info

Grand Hotel della Posta
P.zza Garibaldi 19
23100 Sondrio
Tel. +39 0342 200397

From 120 euro, breakfast included.

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