On both banks of the Arno – Esthetes break in Florence

Your hotel in Florence

It is located in the historic center, between Ponte Vecchio and Piazza delle Signoria, on the edge of the calm waters of the Arno. Imagined by Michele Bönan, Florentine architect, your hotel hides behind its walls a very current, original spirit in the heart of a Renaissance city. The refined furniture, the glass walls, the large bookcase give it allure. The bedrooms follow in the same vein, revealing selected materials and soothing colors. The exhibitions organized in the lobby offer a new window on the contemporary world, captured by the lens of great photographers. The equally minimalist restaurant is inspired by Japanese cuisine, while the rooftop sofas invite long evenings in the fresh air.

On your agenda

In order to bring you to the essentials during these few days, we have already included some highlights in your program. Starting with the Uffizi museum. It is superlative for the breadth and quality of the art collections that extend from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period – Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, between others. Obviously, at the entrance, the queue lengthens. So a private guide and the possibility of easy access have undeniable relevance. The Skip-the-line tickets to the Grand Duomo Museum come in addition. They give access to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the church, the campanile, the baptistery and the dell’Opera del Duomo museum. You will also see theOltrarno, the left bank of Florence, still popular and industrious. The gentrification lurks, but the workshops resist. And then, if the Pitti Palace is there, it means that gentrification is not new. In the company of a private guide, we set off to discover some of the emblematic buildings of the district, such as the Church of the Holy Spirit, for which Brunelleschi drew the plans; the Brancacci chapel, whose murals amaze you; the Torrigiani garden, 17 hectares of sumptuous botanicals, which reveal the spirit of the Renaissance.

Iconic Florence

Elegant, Florence rises its red roofs and the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore between the peaceful banks of the Arno and the hills of Tuscany. The city, deeply marked by the reign of the family of Lawrence the Magnificent, is revealed in the splendor of Renaissance palaces and churches. Amateurs and aesthetes set off to meet antique dealers and the most beautiful museums in Italy. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most stunning in the world, but there is also the Pitti Palace, the Galleria dell’Academia, the Specola and its fantastic collection of anatomical waxes, the History of Science Museum which has an index de Galileo, the Convent of San Marco … Then, we can go and visit the villas scattered in the nearby countryside: Villa Medicea di Careggi, Villa di Castello, Villa di Pratolino-Demidoff … It is still Florence! And if you are unsure of what to do next, seek the advice of our concierge on site.

Galleria dell'Accademia - Florence - Italy

A la carte

A cooking class at Riccardo Barthel’s

The house of designer Riccardo Barthel alone would be worth the trip, as it expresses the quintessence of Italian interior design. But, in addition to that, chefs follow one another to introduce visitors to Tuscan and Italian cuisine. Having all the necessary equipment on site, they take their time and go into detail, from the market to the preparation of the plate – aesthetic issues are not indifferent to the table. With the help of a French-speaking interpreter, we spend a few hours reviewing the fundamentals of one of the most delicious culinary traditions in Europe.
Optional

A gourmet stroll through the San Lorenzo market

The central market is not only a cornucopia, where you can find the best of agriculture and food crafts. It is also a real architectural success, due to Giuseppe Mengoni, the designer of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. And many of the products are cooked on site for the catchment. You explore the halls in the company of a French-speaking guide, able to hear the merchants and point out the best stands. The visit is completed by a tasting of some typical products.
Optional

Italian wine tasting

The place is atypical, defined as a “concept shop” halfway between the restaurant, the wine bar and the delicatessen. Here you can taste three Italian wines – one of them is made by the owner – but also cold meats and some local cheeses.
Optional

The art of The art of The art of wellbeing trip