Eremito – Parrano, Umbria, Italy
A modern hermitage built stone by stone for silence, solitude and a radically simpler way of staying.
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● Built from 130,000 stones using traditional 13th-century masonry techniques, Eremito looks ancient but is a remarkable contemporary creation by former fashion designer Marcello Murzilli.
● The monastic concept is taken seriously: intimate Celluzze, candlelight, communal vegetarian meals and deliberately few distractions turn simplicity into the defining luxury.
● Sustainability is integral rather than decorative: photovoltaic power covers its energy consumption, ingredients are local or home-grown, and Eremito became Italy’s first B Corp-certified resort.
A Monastery That Never Was
Eremito has the presence of a building that has occupied its Umbrian hillside for centuries. It hasn’t. Owner Marcello Murzilli found little more than a derelict rural house here and spent four years creating his imagined monastery from the ground up. Some 130,000 stones were laid according to traditional Italian masonry techniques, producing walls, arches and passages that appear to belong to another age. Murzilli went even further to protect the silence around it, acquiring the surrounding valley. Today Eremito sits deep within more than 3,000 hectares of protected nature, far from traffic, shops and everyday distractions. Getting here involves a final journey by 4×4 along rough tracks. That sense of leaving the outside world behind is entirely intentional.
Franciscan Minimalism
Eremito describes its aesthetic as “Franciscan minimalism.” The interiors take their cues from the monasteries and hermitages of Umbria: stone walls, heavy timber, iron beds, rough natural fabrics and very little that doesn’t need to be there. Much of the atmosphere comes from what is absent. No decorative clutter. No televisions. No minibars. No constant digital stimulation. Instead there are fireplaces, candles, worn-looking stone and the sound of Gregorian chants drifting through the building. It could easily have become theatrical. Instead, there’s something surprisingly warm and sensual about it.
The Celluzze
The rooms are called Celluzze, or little cells, and were originally conceived particularly with solo travellers in mind. They take the monastic idea almost literally. An iron-framed bed sits against stone walls. A rock-hewn desk provides somewhere to read or write. Bathrooms are concealed with simple fabric rather than elaborate architectural interventions. Comfort appears in small, tactile details: thick hemp linen, marble basins, oversized brass showerheads and handmade soaps. The idea isn’t deprivation. It’s removing enough to make you notice what’s left.
Dinner by Gong and Candlelight
Food follows the same philosophy. Eremito serves a vegetarian menu inspired by traditional monastic cooking, using local and self-grown produce wherever possible. Guests gather around long communal tables in the candlelit dining room. A gong announces dinner. And then something unusual happens. Dinner is eaten in silence. What initially sounds austere becomes one of Eremito’s defining rituals. Without conversation filling the room, attention shifts towards the food, the candlelight, the people sitting around you and the simple act of eating. Afterwards, everyone gravitates back towards the fire for books and hot apple tea. Few hotels would dare make silence part of the experience. Here, it makes complete sense.
A Different Kind of Wellness
There’s a small spa rather than a sprawling wellness complex. A thermal plunge pool and stone steam room continue the monastic mood, while yoga, meditation, walks through the surrounding landscape and dedicated retreats extend the idea of restoration beyond conventional treatments. There is very little conventional entertainment. That’s the point. Eremito isn’t designed to keep you busy. It’s designed to make being unbusy feel worthwhile.
Ancient Outside, Contemporary Underneath
The historical appearance hides an impressively modern environmental philosophy. Electricity is generated through a photovoltaic system covering more than 100% of the property’s consumption, complemented by solar thermal systems and energy-efficient technology. Candlelight isn’t merely decorative; it also reduces dependence on artificial illumination. Eremito’s commitment eventually made it the first resort in Italy to achieve B Corp certification, placing measurable social and environmental standards behind its contemplative philosophy. The sustainability works precisely because you barely notice it. The technology disappears. The stones, candles and landscape remain.
Why It Works
Many hotels sell escape while surrounding guests with more things to consume. Eremito does almost the opposite. Marcello Murzilli created a hotel around absence: fewer objects, fewer distractions, fewer decisions and, occasionally, fewer words. What remains is stone, fire, vegetarian food, landscape, ritual and time. Eremito may look backwards to medieval monastic life, but its central idea feels remarkably contemporary. Sometimes luxury isn’t having more. It’s finally having nothing demanding your attention.
