A century of excellence in hospitality

30-10-2017 | Style & Culture

Written by: Giancarlo Roversi

Thinking of a hotel as the expression of a mere commercial activity, albeit in one of the noblest and most strategic branches of the tourism sector, that linked to hospitality, means making a mistake in perspective or even a downright debasement bordering on trivialization. It is certainly an economic reality, even of a high level and in any case of strong social value, which however goes through many aspects of the historical path and lifestyles of a community and a territory with significant cultural and image implications.

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To recall the path of a hotel, especially those of greater prestige, means to relive a non-marginal chapter in the very history of a place and perceive its external projection. Indeed, there are few structures that, like hotels, identify with the environment in which they are located and operate, reflecting its civic moods and cultural traditions and pouring them on those who cross the threshold with their wealth of different mentalities and customs.

A hotel of excellence reflects the profound soul of a city, not only because it has been and is the scene of significant historical and cultural implications, but above all because it constitutes the most immediate impact, the first calling card for those coming from outside, especially when it comes to welcoming the protagonists of public life on the international stage, all extraordinary multipliers of opinion. A pleasant feeling experienced during their stay in the hotel is transfigured, in a sort of psychological transfer, into a positive memory that embraces the entire environmental and urban scene that forms the backdrop.

This is certainly the function or, to put it in a buzzword, the most congenial mission of a hotel: to serve as a presentation card for a city's credentials and its human and vital vibrations. An irreplaceable «diplomatic» vocation, tailor-made for a hotel reality like the Grand Hotel Majestic «già Baglioni» which this year adds a century of life to its coat of arms, where its privileged location already stands out in the beating heart of the city amidst its subtlest tremors and which also boasts the priceless setting of an ancient building rich in historical and artistic values whose history is rooted in the humus of Roman civilization.

The Grand Hotel Majestic «già Baglioni» is one of Bologna's symbols for the image of elegance it has conveyed since its founding and continues to convey to thousands of Italian and international guests, leaving in each an indelible testimony to the civic traditions and spirit of hospitality that has always distinguished the city.

Ever since, since the Middle Ages, it has opened its doors to a mass of young students who have flocked under the Two Towers from all over Europe to quench their thirst with the sap of knowledge distilled by the masters of its University, the Alma Mater Studiorum, the oldest in the world.

But also to satisfy yourself with other more prosaic, but no less important, pleasures, such as those offered by the vaunted Bolognese cuisine, still the city's flagship. And it was precisely from the early days of university and the presence of thousands of young foreigners belonging to noble or otherwise wealthy families, often accompanied by their «families», the valets, that Bologna's hotel tradition began and consolidated over the centuries, along with its vocation to welcome its «innkeepers» and its inhabitants, an inclination that is still alive and vibrant.

These values are quintessenced in the following pages, which unfold a tangible piece of the city's history through the events of the hotel and the buildings that preceded it. Thanks to the presence of illustrious figures from every country who stopped at the Baglioni, leaving a palpable trace of their passing on the Roll of Honor - often with extraordinarily flattering dedications - the glories of the Baglioni are revived, which, upon reflection, become the glories of Bologna itself.

Dwelling on their words, sketches, and drawings, with which they often accompanied them, and observing the faces of the protagonists silhouetted in ancient photographs rekindles many memories and releases a breath of fresh air, giving the ineffable impression that time has stood still.

In search of the origins

Before retracing the extraordinary path of the centuries-old activity of the Grand Hotel Majestic «già Baglioni» in its noble headquarters on Via Indipendenza, it is appropriate, for the completeness of the historiographical framework, to take a step back to rediscover the roots of its original presence under the Two Towers. Its history, but perhaps it is worth mentioning its prehistory, began in the heart of Bologna in 1891 on Via Ugo Bassi at the corner with Via Oleari in the ancient Palazzo della Gabella (now the seat of the Bank of Rome), built in 1574-1577 based on a design by Domenico Tibaldi. Within its walls, the Albergo Italia was already active around the mid-nineteenth century, managed by two well-known Bolognese hotel operators, Ambrosoli and Nicola. The owner of the building was Count Mario Venturoli Mattei.

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