Palacio de Samaniego: The Hotel where Haute Cuisine Engages in Dialogue with the Rothschild Family’s Art
Palacio de Samaniego: The Hotel where Haute Cuisine Engages in Dialogue with the Rothschild Family’s Art
In 2017, Baroness Ariane de Rothschild, Chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the Edmond de Rothschild Group, purchased the Palacio de Samaniego (“Samaniego Palace”) in the Rioja Alavesa region with the goal of creating a unique hotel experience — one inspired by her family’s distinctive lifestyle. Art, one of the fundamental pillars of the Rothschild dynasty, holds a central place in the palace, which permanently displays significant works by celebrated artists from around the world, including Flo Perkins, Flavio Poli, Gio Ponti, Dominique Puchaine, Pol Quadens, Giuseppe Rivadossi, Timo Sarpaneva, Carlo and Tobia Scarpa, Ettore Sottsass, André Thuret, Jean-Paul van Lith, Gerald Vatrin, Paolo Venini, Tapio Wirkkala, and Claudio Zama.
The baroness sums up her family’s deep commitment to collecting in these words: “Art is fully integrated into the DNA of the Rothschilds. Since the nineteenth century, my family has stood out for its visionary approach to cultural patronage, supporting illustrious artists of every era. For me, art is alive. It must be visible, accessible, and shared with as many people as possible.” Following this philosophy, the palace’s nine comfortable rooms and its shared areas are adorned for guests’ enjoyment with indigenous artifacts, paintings, sculptures, and vases of various styles and periods — with a strong presence of Murano glass and ceramics.
Artists such as the Frenchmen Olivier Gagnère, Salvatore Parisi, and Jean-Claude Novaro; Italians Rodolfo Dordoni, Giorgio Ferro, Martino Gamper, Luciano Gaspari, and Alessandro Mendini; German Franz Xaver Höller; Americans Paul Jenkins and Joel Philip Myers; Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira; Swedes Yngve Ekström and Edvin Öhström; and the creative duo Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin, who began their joint career in Sweden, are all represented at the Palacio de Samaniego through their works.
The hotel’s restaurant, Tierra y Vino, led by Chef Bruno Coelho, is likewise a space devoted to both the plastic arts and the art of fine dining. Surrounded by vases and sculptures, and seated at patchwork-style tables crafted from reclaimed wood by cabinetmaker Mathisse Dalstein, guests are treated to Iberian and Basque specialties reinterpreted with respect for French culinary technique. Among Coelho’s signature creations are pickled quail with milk foam and kiwi, scallop carpaccio with almond and beurre blanc, roasted lamb over vine shoots and grapes, and kizkilurrin with figs and walnuts — each a true work of art on the plate. These dishes are paired with a first-class selection of national and international wines, featuring labels from the Rothschild family’s own cellars: Château Clarke, Amistà, Château des Laurets, Château de Malengin, Champagne Barons de Rothschild, and Château Malmaison of France; Flechas de los Andes of Argentina; Rimapere and Akarua of New Zealand; Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons of South Africa; and Macán of the Rioja Alavesa region. “Cuisine unifies and creates bridges between people and cultures. Tierra y Vino acts as a link between the Basque region and French culinary techniques, precise and meticulous: the experience is unique and surprising, always respecting local products and the wines served,” explains the Baroness.
The restaurant’s glass pieces —by artists such as Emmanuel Babled, Mario Badioli, Fulvio Bianconi, Stanislaw Borowski, Pierre Charpin, Paolo Crepax, Antonio da Ros, and Laura de Santillana— converse harmoniously with the sculpture paintings of Michel Deverne and René Galassi, as well as the ceramics of Eric Astoul and Boleslaw Danikowski, creating a refined atmosphere that enhances the pleasures of enogastronomy. “At Palacio de Samaniego, I wanted to offer a new experience inspired by my family’s way of life, to add beauty and elegance to this historic home, and to provide a new take on wine tourism in the Rioja Alavesa region,” concludes Baroness Rothschild.
Palacio de Samaniego
Calle Constitución 12, Samaniego.
Tel.: +34 945 660 000
