Alfieri Lante: Lost Keys?

Question

I'm heading to I. C. Alfieri Lante della Rovere next week for a conference. It's in a gorgeous old building, apparently, and I've heard stories about secret passageways and hidden libraries. Anyone know if those are actually real? Or is it just local legend? More importantly, I'm a bit of a klutz, what's the deal with lost keys there? Is it a nightmare to get a replacement? Seriously considering bringing a spare, maybe even chain myself to the door.

natalie · Answer

honestly the passageway rumors come from the fact that the building used to connect to the adjacent convent, and there are sealed doors in some of the upper rooms that people mistake for hidden corridors. the library isn't hidden either, it's just that the good stuff sits behind a glass case and the staff only opens it on request. on keys, the real trap isn't losing them, it's that the portineria closes for pranzo around 1 and doesn't reopen till 3, so if u lose them midday you're stuck waiting on a bench in the cortile. bring a spare in your bag, not chained to anything, and you'll be fine.

verona · Answer

The secret passageway thing is mostly legend, but the building does have a lovely cortile and some genuinely old reading rooms that feel hidden because nobody uses them. On the keys, the portineria handles replacements and it's not the ordeal people make it out to be, though you'll want to sort it during morning hours when the custode is actually on site. I'd skip the spare and just keep your keys on a lanyard, the doors there are heavy and it's easy to set them down on a windowsill and walk off.

ida · Answer

I've been to a couple of events at Alfieri Lante and the "hidden" bits are mostly just underused rooms. There's a staircase near the back that people call a passageway, it's really just a service stair that got romanticized. On keys, the bigger issue is the front door locks itself after 8pm, so if you're stuck outside you're waiting for someone with the master. I'd say keep your keys zipped in a pocket rather than a lanyard, those heavy doors swing and snag things.

estherflach · Answer

ok so nobody mentioned the actual key thing, the keys at alfieri lante are old school physical ones not electronic, and the blanks are weird so a normal hardware store copy won't work. you gotta go to a ferramenta that does antique keys, there's one near piazza vittorio that sorted mine. also there are two different keyholes on the main door and people always try the wrong one first, it's the lower one.

Neu aus Rome