May 2011: the opening of the Dunant Hotel in Castiglione delle Stiviere, a new structure named by Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross in 1859, and the first figure to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

It was in this small town, 10 km from Desenzano del Garda, between Mantova and Brescia, that the Swiss idealist stayed in after the Battle of Solferino (24th June, 1859), joining the “women of Castiglione”, and those who provided assistance to the many wounded. Henry Dunant then founded the spirit of what was to become the most important and best known humanitarian organisation in the world. Today we are proud to open a new structure, next to the headquarters of the International Museum of the Red Cross in Castiglione delle Stiviere, and inspired by the extraordinary figure of Dunant. “We asked the designer Ermanno Preti to freely interpret the life and principles of Dunant” explains Eugenio Gallina, owner of Dunant Hotel “Preti involved a group of young artists and we have respected this rule, not being reliant on stars or other hotel classifications, in order to give life to a space beyond comparison”.
Each of the 74 rooms is entirely unique, creating an interesting spatial portrait of this inspirational character.