Hotel Posta
N. Italy: Emilia Romagna: Reggio Emilia
This hotel is located in the historic center of Reggio Emilia in the town's oldest building, originally built in 1280 as the residence of the People's Captain (comparable to the mayor). It was transformed into an inn in 1515, and converted to a hotel in 1989. There is a beautiful frescoed room, now used for parties, weddings and meetings, where the original owner met with his constituents. The hotel is continually updating its accommodations. While all rooms are different and not huge, each one is comfortably furnished and has a very clean tile bathroom, satellite television and mini-bar. Some rooms are perfect for families. As this hotel is very reasonably priced, JDB recommends the junior suites, which are much more spacious. The town itself is full of wonderful shops, and there is a market in Piazza Prampolini every Tuesday and Friday morning. Reggio Emilia is an important music center. Not only does the town have a beautiful opera house, it is very close to Busseto, the home of Verdi; Cremona, home of the Stradivarius violin; and Modena, home of Pavarotti AND the best balsamic vinegar in Italy. Since the owners of the hotel are among the most important producers of balsamic vinegar, a visit to the balsamic vinegar "factory" for a tasting or a meal at their restaurant adjoining the factory can be easily arranged with one week's advance notice. Reggio Emilia is also an important center for the production of parmesan cheese, and a cheese factory visit is also a possibility. Cars are not permitted in the historic center of Reggio Emilia, so the citizens move about by bicycle, which makes for a quiet town center. The hotel provides its guests the use of bicycles on a complimentary basis. Three restaurants that JDB can recommend are the Caffe Arti & Mestieri and the Trattoria della Ghiara, both of which are close to the hotel, and Arnaldo's, located a short ride from the center.