The Casa Nova complex was built as an inn for Christian pilgrims enroute to Jerusalem who, during the centuries when Jaffa lay in ruins, would camp among the remains of its ancient structures.
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world, famous for its association with the biblical story of the Prophet Jonah. Modern Jaffa has a heterogeneous population of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Old Jaffa has remained a compound containing houses, alleys, Jaffa port and a newly restored boardwalk by the sea.
Houses in the area were especially allocated for development of an artist colony. The ancient, winding alleyways have been renovated and given names of the zodiac signs. The central lane in Old Jaffa is called Netiv Hamazalot (‘the Zodiac path’) and this is where you will find the Casa Nova complex, which today includes galleries, theaters, houses of artisans, the Sea Mosque, and St. Peter’s Church. The hotel is located at the northern entrance to the port and is entered from Netiv Hamazalot.
The original building, erected in 1654 by representatives of the Franciscan Order, was a hostel for pilgrims upon landing in the Holy Land and before they made their ascent to Jerusalem.
Later, in the 18th century, the building was renovated and named Casa Nova (New House). The inn remained in operation until the end of the 19th century, when it fell in to disrepair. Before its recent construction what had remained were several half-hewn caves decorated with arched openings.
Today, the building is ornamented with reliefs partly embedded in its walls which represent different elements of the Catholic Church and the Vatican. The relief at the main entrance of the hotel symbolizes the final proprietorship of the kings of Spain, though throughout the structure one can see bullet holes testifying to its various conquests over centuries.
Among the many legends about Casa Nova, one claims that the property, which was at one time a monastery, hosted Napoleon when he conquered the land of Israel in 1799. In that year, a plague struck the French army immediately after its occupation of Jaffa, and French soldiers were housed and treated in the building. They say Napoleon himself visited his soldiers there, accompanied by his staff at the convent, to demonstrate that the disease was not contagious.
The property is currently held by private owners who purchased it from the Spanish government. In the last two years, Casa Nova’s walls have once again echoed to the sound of hammers and drills.
Today, after extensive renovations, doors have opened to accommodate guests who welcome the tranquility and intimate charm of Old Jaffa with its spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea, yet only minutes away from the bustle and sophistication of Tel Aviv.
Luxury suites await those discerning travelers who want to experience a truly unique accommodation in Israel.
This cozy, romantic apartment is located on the first beach line of Jaffa, in front of Andromeda Rock and only a few minutes’ walk from the Port, the famous Jaffa flea market, antique shops, restaurants, cafés and ice cream shops. The apartment features wonderful, natural light, and is furnished with:
- living room: a 3-meter sofa, 2 arm chairs, 2 coffee tables and a large dining table with six chairs;
- master bedroom: a king size bed, cable TV (32-inch plasma screen), 2 bedside tables and a large closet;
- the second bedroom has a 150X190 cm bed and 2 large closets.
The kitchen is fully equipped with refrigerator, microwave oven, stove, a water-cooler system and a Nespresso coffee machine.
The apartment is air-conditioned, with a washer and dryer, cable TV & DVD, Free WiFi and internet connection.
An adjoining terrace has an exquisite roof view facing the Tel Aviv promenade to the north and Jaffa port to the south, and is furnished with 2 arm chairs, one sofa, coffee table, square dining table with 4 chairs, and 2 sunbeds.
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice.
He socialized with European royalty, popes and cardinals, royalty, along with luminaries like Voltaire, Goethe, and Mozart. His autobiography, "Histoire de Ma Vie", is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European society during the 18th century.
The Casa Nova Executive Suite overlooks the Mediterranean Sea with a magnificent, panoramic view, including the long stretch of modern Tel-Aviv’s promenaded coastline.
Pasha was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire’s political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitaries and others. As an honorary title, Pasha is similar to a British peerage or knighthood, and was one of the highest titles in pre-republican Egypt.
The Pasha is deluxe Presidential Suite, offering a beautifully tiled bathroom with a circular jacuzzi in the style of a Turkish bathhouse. It offers the perfect relaxation at the end of a long day.
In Greek mythology, Andromeda is the daughter of the Ethiopian king Cepehus and his wife Cassiopeia. When Cassiopeia's hubris leads her to boast that Andromeda is more beautiful than the Nereids, Poseidon sends a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage Ethiopia as divine punishment.
Andromeda is stripped and chained naked to a rock as a sacrifice to the monster, but is saved from death by Perseus.
The Andromeda Suite’s balcony overlooks the Andromeda Rock in Jaffa.
Fra Angelico was posthumously made a saint in 1982. Fra Angelico was an early Italian Renaissance painter described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent".
Vasari wrote of Fra Angelico that "it is impossible to bestow too much praise on this Holy Father, who was so humble and modest in all that he did and said and whose pictures were painted with such facility and piety”.
Queen Cassiopeia, wife of King Cepheus of Ethiopia, was beautiful but also arrogant and vain. The boast of Cassiopeia was that both she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. This brought the wrath of Poseidon, ruling god of the sea, upon the kingdom of Ethiopia.
Accounts differ as to whether Poseidon decided to flood the whole country or direct the sea monster Cetus to destroy it. In either case, in the attempt to save their kingdom, Cepheus and Cassiopeia consulted a wise oracle, who told them that the only way to appease the sea gods was to sacrifice their daughter.
On the first floor you’ll find our self-service lounge. The lounge is open 24/7 and offers coffee, drinks, biscuits and dining utensils (cutlery, plates, glasses & cups).
Please keep the lounge clean after using its utilities, to ensure that other guests of the hotel will have the same comfortable experience.
24 hours a day
Like any coastal cities, the true heart of Tel Aviv is where city meets sea. One can find much relief from the humid summer days in the cool water and the beaches present an opportunity to reconnect with nature after all the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv.
The Eretz Israel Museum is multidisciplinary museum in the Ramat Aviv neighborhood of Tel aviv. The Museum opened in 1953 and is made up of numerous pavilions that surround an excavation site that is still being worked on in the heart of the museum grounds.
Ilana Goor Museum or Ilana Goor Residence and Museum is an Israeli museum situated in the historical part of Jaffa. The museum was founded in 1995 by Ilana Goor, an artist, designer and sculptor.
The Jaffa Flea Market is one of the main attractions in the Old jaffa city. Any visitor looking for antiques, second-hand treasures, bargains or simply a fantastic experience must make sure to visit the Flea Market.
Nachalat Binyamin is a unique pedestrian mall shopping experience in central Tel Aviv.
The Tel aviv nightlife scene is famous worldwide and the wide range of entertainment venues cannot be matched anywhere in the country.
The charming Old jaffa, situated south-west of the city of Jaffa, remains one of the few places that is relatively untouched; preserving the ancient beauty that makes Old Jaffa the unique location that it is.
The history-rich Old Jaffa Port is home to galleries, stores and restaurants.
Yarkon Park is a large park in Tel Aviv, Israel, with about sixteen million visits annually.
Tel aviv has an astonishing variety of restaurants and one can be sure to find the place that caters to the specific cuisine that you desire when out and about in the city.
The church was built in 1654 in dedication to Saint Peter over a medieval citadel that was erected by Frederick I and restored by Louis IX of France at the beginning of the second half of the thirteenth century.
The Tel aviv Museum of Art was established in 1932. The Museum is home to an extensive collection of both classical and contemporary art, with a clear emphasis on Israeli art, a sculpture garden and youth wing.
CASA NOVA - BOUTIQUE HOTEL
6 Netiv Ha’mazalot AlleyOld City-JaffaTel AvivIsrael