Experience the Art of Purgatorio n°2

If you’re tired of the Italian tourist trail, this guesthouse with a twist will give you a window into a different side of Naples.

Many visitors come to Italy’s third-largest city as part of a trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, but there is plenty to keep you here for a few days. Not only is Naples known as the birthplace of pizza and the camorra, the chaotic city acts as an incubator for some innovative art and culture.

Purgatorio n°2 is part art project/part guesthouse, offering two rooms in a restored palazzo that plays host to a literary club. The space is the brainchild of Paris-born Nathalie de St Phalle, who used the money made from renting rooms to finance the renovations.

Work is now complete, and guests can revel in the glorious surroundings while they enjoy one of the hundreds of books from the library. As well as paying around €150 per night, guests are expected to submit a short story about imaginary founder Robert Kaplan, to be included in a book compiled by de St Phalle.

The palazzo hosts dinner at 8 p.m. every night, attended by guests and the pick of Naples’ creative talents, allowing visitors to get an insight into the fascinating city from the point of view of its designers, writers and artists. With many travelers looking for distinctive experiences which mark their trip as something out of the ordinary, Purgatorio n°2 offers creative minds the chance to participate in the creative life of a city, an honor that precious few visitors are afforded elsewhere.