Florence's Villa San Michele Reopens as a Renaissance-Inspired Luxury Retreat
High on the slope of Monte Ceceri in Fiesole, overlooking the curve of the Duomo far below, Villa San Michele half-hides in a holly oak wood. Built in the early 15th century by the noble Davanzati family, the Franciscan convent was, for almost 200 years, home only to friars - never more than 10, and sometimes as few as two. As the Renaissance flourished, the convent was extended. Donatello carved the Davanzati coat of arms in stone in a courtyard; Michelangelo designed a new façade. In 1506, so the story goes, Leonardo da Vinci staged the first test of his 'flying machine' from atop Ceceri, just a few hundred metres from the friars' gardens.
Belmond's Florentine jewel, which has been operating as a hotel since the 1950s, boasts a rich history in Italian hospitality. After an 18-month-long closure, Villa San Michele reopened last month; and the team behind its restoration, working under the direction of interiors architect Luigi Fragola, has expertly mined that heritage. Fragola enlisted masters and makers from across the city's artisan community - stoneworkers, weavers and more, all of whom have kept centuries-old traditions alive. Drapes and bed skirts showcase ornate silk passementerie. Tables adorned with floral motifs were handmade by Bianco Bianchi, one of the last remaining masters of scagliola, a 17th-century inlay technique.
Equally impressive are the antiques: 19th-century Italian; Louis XVI; 17th-century maiolica vases; smatterings of vintage Ginori. A rare 1960s red-lacquer table by Maison Baguès graces the Limonaia suite, whose bedroom walls were handpainted by Francesca Guicciardini, one of Italy's most sought-after muralists (who hails from one of Florence's oldest families).
VSM's devotees are many and far-flung; I have 35 years' worth of memories, dating back to my student years. Some will be worrying: what about the gardens? Revived and subtly updated, but largely unchanged, I'm delighted to report. The beloved 300-year-old wisteria vine, which in spring covers the hotel's entire east façade in violet blossom, is intact; likewise, the roses and hydrangeas, and the elegant parterres. On the wide drinks lawn, fantasy marquee tents afford welcome shade and throwback style.
There are a few 21st-century updates to usher in the new era - starting with the knockout Guerlain spa (the beauty brand is an LVMH stablemate). There's also wellness of a less bourgeois variety: JJ Martin, the California-born founder of Italian fashion and homeware line La DoubleJ, offers her unique take on energy healing in a small chapel ensconced in the woods above the hotel - think meditation and sound healing. The splendid loggia that runs the length of the villa is now home to Antesi, executive chef Alessandro Cozzolino's new fine-dining destination restaurant, which serves three tasting menus that rotate with the seasons. (There's a more casual menu at Ristorante San Michele and, as ever, excellent pizzas at the Grill, next to the pool.)
Villa San Michele's fresh face is everything Belmond promises its hotels will be: chic and spirited and shot through with glamour. But come for the history, too. The building contains six remarkable centuries' worth of stories, all of them intertwined with Florence's own. belmond.com, from €1,600
