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.
The view through to the Limonaia suite © Adrian Gaut
The hotel’s façade © Adrian Gaut
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.
