Relais Roncolo 1888 occupies three historic buildings among the vineyards, olive groves and gardens of a 130-hectare organic estate in Emilia-Romagna. Its former family villa has restored frescoed ceilings, the swimming pool is surrounded by cypress trees, and traditional balsamic vinegar ages in the estate’s historic acetaia. With just 17 rooms and suites, it offers an intimate base for exploring one of Italy’s richest food-producing regions.
For its 2027 season, the family-owned hotel says it will introduce Le Scuderie, a new dining concept, alongside new suites and spa treatment rooms. Those additions will broaden a stay already shaped by the surrounding farmland: wine tastings, fresh-pasta classes and visits to Parmigiano Reggiano producers, with the option of taking a vintage car into the hills.
What’s planned for 2027
Le Scuderie will centre its cooking on the estate’s seasonal produce and the surrounding countryside. Tenuta di Roncolo produces organic wines, extra virgin olive oil and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP, alongside ingredients from its kitchen garden.
The new suites and spa treatment rooms are also planned for the 2027 season. For travellers considering a food-led country break, the treatment rooms will add another reason to leave time between lunches, cellar visits and excursions. Private yoga and outdoor activities are already available.
Ristorante Limonaia, the existing restaurant, occupies the historic greenhouse and draws on the kitchen garden. The estate has held organic certification since 1994 and became a certified B Corporation in 2025.
Frescoes, gardens and a villa to take privately
Austrian-born Julia Prestia and her Sicilian husband own the estate, which was once home to the Marchesi Manodori. Julia left a career in finance to run it and oversaw its conversion into a hotel, with restored timber beams and frescoes alongside wallpaper by French artist Vernet and armchairs by Gio Ponti.
The hotel’s own history dates the start of the restoration to the Prestia family’s arrival in 2015. Dimora Ancini and Dimora Acetaia welcomed their first guests in summer 2020; Villa Manodori’s restoration was completed in 2022, bringing the accommodation to its current 17 rooms and suites. The buildings retain distinct characters, from the villa’s formal interiors to the exposed beams and natural fabrics of the former outbuildings.
In Villa Manodori, the hotel describes the Manodori Master Suite as a first-floor retreat with hand-painted ceiling frescoes, its own sitting room and a super-king bed beneath a four-poster frame. A deep bathtub and walk-in shower complete the bathroom. The villa’s rooms look towards the formal gardens and countryside, giving the historic interiors an equally appealing outlook.
The Dimora Junior Suites have open-plan sitting areas and views towards the vineyards or, in some rooms, the Limonaia. Ground-floor Garden Suites offer a private garden or terrace, while two-bedroom accommodation provides an option for families or friends travelling together.
Villa Manodori can also be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Its six bedrooms, kitchen and private dining room make it worth considering for a family gathering or a special occasion centred on food and wine.
Wine, balsamic and pasta at their source
The hotel holds its wine tastings in the cellar at the historic, seventeenth-century Dimora Ancini. Sommeliers introduce Venturini Baldini wines, including Lambrusco, other sparkling wines and still selections, accompanied by local specialities. Private tastings can be requested, allowing a couple or small group to explore the estate’s wines together.
Acetaia di Canossa, the estate’s seventeenth-century balsamic cellar, offers a different kind of tasting. A guided visit follows traditional balsamic vinegar as it ages in wooden barrels, before a tasting paired with aged Parmigiano Reggiano. It is a particularly fitting introduction to Emilia-Romagna, bringing two of the region’s defining products together where one of them is made.
Fresh-pasta classes focus on cappelletti and tagliatelle, with a maximum of eight participants. The class ends with a private, family-style lunch using the pasta guests have made.
Visits to Parmigiano Reggiano dairies and Prosciutto di Parma makers extend that exploration beyond Roncolo. Back on the estate, a weather-dependent gourmet picnic pairs regional delicacies with estate wines. The olive groves contribute their own product, too: Montelocco, a limited-edition extra virgin olive oil made from native centenary trees.
Time outside, at an easier pace
The seasonal swimming pool provides a place to spend an unhurried afternoon among the cypresses. With vineyards, woodland and gardens surrounding the hotel, there is also room to make the countryside part of the day, whether through a guided walk or a bike ride.
Trails run through the estate and neighbouring Parco di Roncolo, and the hotel offers mountain-bike and electric-bike rental. Private yoga, guided hiking, horseback-riding lessons and countryside rides can be arranged, alongside tennis instruction and private gym training.
An estate-based day could combine a morning walk with a cellar tasting and an afternoon by the pool. For a longer stay, that balance leaves space between the region’s food producers, museums and cities, without making every day an excursion.
Emilia-Romagna by classic car
Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati give this part of Italy another substantial attraction. Roncolo can arrange vintage cars and supercars delivered to the hotel, with countryside drives, private museum and factory visits, track days and F1 simulator sessions at the Museo Ferrari in Maranello among its motoring experiences.
The hotel’s published classic-car options include an Alfa Romeo Spider and a Fiat Abarth, available on request. Either offers a way to explore the surrounding hills, while the wider programme includes factory visits to Maserati, Lamborghini, Dallara or Ducati. Collezione Pagani, outside Modena, is approximately an hour away.
Art and architecture offer equally good reasons to venture out. Guided visits can include Collezione Maramotti, Palazzo Magnani, Labirinto della Masone and the Pilotta Palace. Parma, Modena and Bologna also feature in the hotel’s cultural programme, making Roncolo a useful countryside base for travellers who want to combine estate life with city visits.
Planning a stay at Relais Roncolo 1888
Relais Roncolo 1888 is in Quattro Castella, between Parma and Reggio Emilia, in the foothills of the Apennines. The hotel opens from mid-March to mid-November, with advertised rates from €800 on a bed-and-breakfast basis. Enquiries and reservations are available through the hotel’s booking website.
Reggio Emilia’s high-speed railway station is around 20 minutes away by car, Parma airport about 30 minutes and Bologna airport about an hour. The estate also has a helipad. For a wider Italian itinerary, the hotel gives approximate driving times of two hours from Milan and two and a half hours from Florence, Venice or Lake Como.
