The magnificent Grand Hotel des Thermes - now Palazzo dei Congressi - is one of the symbols of Salsomaggiore Terme. Splendid example of Art Nouveau-Déco style offers inside splendid frescoed historical halls, spaces and modern structures to host meetings, congresses, conventions and various events thanks to the 2,300 seats.
Grand Hotel des Thermes - Palazzo dei Congressi History
Located in a charming park in the heart of Salsomaggiore Terme, the luxurious Grand Hotel des Thermes, known for thirty years as Palazzo dei Congressi, is one of the most shining examples of Art Nouveau-Deco style buildings.
Designed in 1898 by the Milanese architect Luigi Broggi, it was inaugurated in 1901 and managed by Cesare Ritz, who became the owner in 1910 together with the baron Pfyffer.
During the first war the hotel was sold to the Società Anomima Grandi Alberghi Salsomaggiore, which also extended the structure with a new body, while in the second post-war period it passed to Count Leoni until it reached 1965, when it was bought by the Municipality of Salsomaggiore Terme to turn it into the current Palazzo dei Congressi.
The building is spread over 4 floors, consisting of 17 rooms that can accommodate 50 to 750 people, an exhibition space of 3,000 square meters and two free parking spaces not far from the structure.
Among the "historic" halls of the Palazzo dei Congressi we recall the Salone Moresco, commissioned in 1925 as a party room and today particularly suitable for banquets and gala dinners; was also chosen by the director Bernardo Bertolucci as a location to shoot some scenes of the famous film "The Last Emperor".
The Red Tavern, conceived in the same style as the Salone Moresco, can accommodate about 100 people and is often used for business lunches and meetings.
The Hall of the Caryatids, once the hotel's dining room, is characterized by a Japanese-style dome with decorations by Galileo Chini. An environment rich in frescoes and Liberty decorations, it has 300 seats and is also used for congress events.
Overlooking the main entrance is the Pompadour Room, suitable for meetings of up to 60 people and particularly appreciated for events with a strong public attendance, such as painting exhibitions.
More modern construction is the Auditorium Europa, capable of over 700 seats and equipped with the most modern solutions from a technological point of view. With its multi-purpose structure the salon is therefore suitable for the most varied events, from congresses to concerts up to fashion shows.
Complementary to the main halls of the main floor and ground floor, there are other smaller rooms that bear the name of the illustrious musicians who were illustrious guests of Salsomaggiore, Verdi, Toscanini, Caruso, Callas. Although essential in style, they are equipped with every modern comfort and equipment to host any type of event.
In addition to the conference activity, a wing on the third floor houses the Museo Paleontologico of Salsomaggiore Terme.