Chiesa Ignano 1778

Our stay was a nightmare because of a severe insect problem. We still don’t know whether they were bed bugs, Pyemotes ventricosus, or sand flies (pappataci). The owners seem like a very sweet couple, and I feel sorry for them because this B&B is their livelihood. But I’m also very upset that they knew about the issue and didn’t warn us before we booked. I’m writing this six days after our stay and still have painful, intensely itchy bites. I have no idea when they’ll stop. I wish I’d checked the Google reviews as well as Booking.com. I found one person who’d had the same experience. There may be more who haven’t posted, perhaps because they feel for the couple. It’s also possible the problem was only in the apartments in the old church. The old church building where we stayed was extremely humid and damp, and there was mould in the shower. It felt like a breeding ground for insects. I tried to check the mattress, but bed bugs can be hard to spot without training and specialist equipment. In the photos, some signs look as though they could be bed bugs, though I can’t be sure. The apartments were beautifully renovated and the owner had created a lovely garden, but our two apartments had very small windows and no views. Being indoors all the time felt depressing. We were too afraid to eat outside because of the supposed sand flies, although we may actually have been bitten inside. After the first night we noticed some bites. By the time we left the next day, all of us were covered. Our six-month-old baby and four-year-old weren’t affected, but our nine-year-old had bites and was very distressed by the itching. Three of the four adults had allergic reactions and went to hospital for cortisone tablets. I’m breastfeeding, so I couldn’t take antihistamines or steroids without affecting my breast milk. For several days I struggled to sleep because the bites were so itchy, and I couldn’t take anything to relieve them. I can’t believe the owners let our families come when they knew about this. We went straight to a pharmacy in Monzuno when we left. The pharmacist asked whether we’d stayed at Chiesa Ignano 1778, saying other guests had come in with the same problem. Between our two families, we’ve now spent well over £200 on pharmacy medication for the bites. It’s been truly awful. We’re also worried that if the insects were bed bugs or Pyemotes ventricosus, they could have travelled home in our bags and belongings. Treating that at home would cost a fortune, and dealing with it while we have a small baby would be unbelievably stressful. There was no air conditioning, which might have helped with the humidity and insect problem. The owner said there was an underfloor cooling system, but it made the floors feel wet and only added to the dampness and humidity. The area also seemed short on pretty villages and places to eat. We went to Monzuno for aperitivo and dinner and found it ugly and depressing. I think the area works if you’re there to hike in nature and can cook for yourself.