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DEThe History
a castle of the first half of the eighteenth century
THE CASTle
a cloak of ivy
An ancient manor, seat of the Jesuit Monastery Villa Betlemme built in the mid-nineteenth century on the hill overlooking the historic center of Cividale del Friuli, has become the modern and welcoming Wellness Resort Locanda al Castello.
Immersed in the greenery of the eastern hills of Friuli, it houses the Balloch family's hotel and restaurant, the large Beauty Farm & Spa with swimming pools, saunas, solarium, staff specialized in beauty treatments and every type of comfort. A striking glass passage connects the ancient wing and the historic tower with the sundial to a modern panoramic structure, with breathtaking views from the Alps to the Friuli plain.
Each room has its own personality and style, inspired by the various moments in the history of the Castle. The hotel also has halls for receptions, conferences and meetings, winery & food, as well as splendid terraces equipped for the summer season, a large garden, private parking and a column for fast charging of electric cars.
At the Locanda al Castello restaurant, Chef Franca offers great dishes of Italian and Central European kitchen, traditional Friulian and Lombard recipes revisited in a contemporary way, as well as vegetarian, vegan and light menus for every taste and palate. The selection of products is of high quality with attention to local excellence to be combined with the selection of wines from the best Friulian labels.
In Cividale del Friuli, covered by a mantle of vines that in every season gives the ancient walls a different color, stands the Wellness Resort Hotel "Locanda al Castello". The castle was created in the nineteenth-century monastery, on the slopes of the hill overlooking the historic center of the city of Cividale, the ancient Forum Julii, in one of its most exclusive positions.
The ancient "Villa Bethlehem" was built by the will of the Society of Jesus on the recommendation of Monsignor Luigi Costantini, as a summer home where the Jesuit congregation could rest and meditate. Cividale they deepened their philosophical studies and researches surrounded by a natural environment of great beauty.
The structure of the building still demonstrates it’s connection with the Holy City. The historical texts tell, in fact, that Msgr. Costantini, fascinated by a majestic palace visited in Bethlehem during a pilgrimage, designed the current architecture of the castle which was given the name of "Villa Bethlehem".
In the diary of the meeting of the Jesuit fathers of October 15, 1924, we read that "the opportunity to sell the villa of Bethlehem in Cividale, inherited from Mons. Costantini, (...) the opportunity to buy it must not be lost". Thus hath it been, the property passed to different local families for decades until, in 1960, considering its prestigious and privileged position in the city of Cividale, the building was renovated and used as an inn with kitchen, renovating over time its original vocation to hospitality.
The Balloch family, current owners of the Castle, transformed the ancient manor into a Wellness Resort & Charme Hotel with every comfort, equipping it with a modern wellness center that adjoins the hotel and the gourmet restaurant.
LA MERIDIANA
un''antica meridiana
Posta sulla parete prospiciente ad est della torre è presente una meridiana che fu realizzata da P.Jacobus Bettineschi S. di Dezzo nel 1922.
Sulla meridiana vi sono incisi due motti: "Con piccoli spazi misuriamo l''immenso cielo"e "Dal sorgere del sole fino al tramonto si deve lodare il nome di Dio".
Evidenti quanto rare, sono le correzioni in minuti e secondi dell''equazione del tempo di tutti i giorni dell''anno, scolpite su centinaia di mattoni facciavista sulla stessa parete della meridiana, a conferma dell''interesse per lo studio della matematica e dell''astronomia dei religiosi.
