The Hotel is located on the edge of the city’s historic centre and occupies two protected Renaissance palaces, the 15th century Palazzo della Gherardesca and the Conventino, a 16th century Palazzo, which was once a convent. Between them lie Florence’s largest private garden – the 11 acre (4.5 hectare) Giardino della Gherardesca – one of the most beautiful and undiscovered green spaces on the right bank of the River Arno.

The palace’s ornately painted and crafted interiors offer guests the rare opportunity to view 15th – 19th century artworks in their original context. Frescoes, bas-reliefs, stuccoes and silk wallpapers have been carefully restored to reveal vivid detail dating back over five centuries.

Original Florentine art and craftsmanship can also be found in several of the Hotel’s 117 bedrooms, suites and bathrooms. In addition, each bedroom and suite has individual dimensions and window-sizes and many also showcase idiosyncratic original features such as skylights, staircases, fireplaces and stoves.

The Hotel honours the city’s culinary and cultural heritage. Il Palagio, the main restaurant, uses Tuscan ingredients sourced direct from local producers; the two-storey spa features bespoke natural products created by Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (one of the world’s oldest herbal pharmacies, dating back to 13th century Florentine monks) and room amenities have been custom-made by Florence-based Lorenzo Villoresi.

The Hotel also has an outdoor pool, Fitness Centre, Library/Reading Room and vast, sun-lit Atrium Bar. “Opening a property as historic and beautiful as this, in my home region, is a dream come true,” commented Patrizio Cipollini, General Manager. “But despite the grand interiors, we have made every effort to ensure that guests feel relaxed and welcome. Florence is like a village; it’s easy to feel at home here and we want that feeling to extend into the Hotel.”

At the far end of the gardens, the Conventino (set to open in September) provides an arrangement of 37 rooms and suites – a ‘hotel within the hotel’ – served by its own reception, concierge, breakfast room and business centre. The garden location offers a restful alternative to the main Palazzo building.

The Hotel is the company’s second property in Italy; the first, Four Seasons Hotel Milano, is an intimate retreat within a converted 15th century convent, just steps from Milan’s couture houses and financial district. Florence will offer guests another location to explore Italy and enjoy the same service standards and hospitality as the long-established and reputable Milan property has.