Il Salviatino, Florence

About Il Salviatino

500 years old, the beautifully restored Renaissance villa, Il Salviatino, is surrounded by an extensive private park and commands spectacular views over Florence. Quality and service is the mantra of this exquisite hotel, staffed by Service Ambassadors. Sumptuous suites and rooms are individually decorated and furnished with an impressive blend of local artisanship and the latest technology to give comfort, luxury and uniqueness for each guest. Historic frescos, mosaics and treasures have been lovingly restored.
The menus in the restaurants have been designed to give the best of Tuscan cuisine, from classic recipes taught to the chefs by local grandmothers, to the haute cuisine learned and developed from some of Europe's finest restaurants. To complete the indolent experience, the award-winning Thai Spa Deverana, which, outside of Asia, was first established here and offers a range of treatments that include a Florentine Romance and an After Wine Tasting Retreat ? a tribute to the superb vineyards to be found in Tuscany.

Supplements (from):

Salviati Deluxe £31. Garden Deluxe 49. Devarana Deluxe £49. Junior Suite £118. Dome view Deluxe £149. Half Board £79. Full Board £142.

Facilities:

Grappolo Restaurant
Devarana Spa
Lounge Bar
Wine Cellar
Il Salviatino Cooking School

Information:

Please note Il Salviatino will be closed for the winter and will open 15th April 2010. This hotel has 61 air-conditioned rooms. Tranfer time from Pisa airport: 1 hour 20 mins. Transfer time from Florence airport 20 mins. Child prices apply to ages 3-11 years.

About Florence

For a tiny city-state, Florence enjoys an enormous reputation for art, scholarship, architecture and science that belies its concentrated size. Contemporary Florence spills into the lush Tuscan countryside, but the hub of its centro storico, a treasure trove of culture, stylish living and epicurean thrills, can be crossed at a leisurely pace within half an hour. The compact nature of this honey-coloured enclave lends it an intimate atmosphere, zealously preserved by a municipality that ferociously defends ancient civic liberties whose martial and banking skills not only once ruled the papacy, but also had a profound influence on shaping European culture for over five centuries.

Florence is an erudite university centre, bursting with youthful enthusiasm and a down to earth population, who rejoice in a philosophical way of life dedicated to eating, drinking and romantic pleasures. Easy if you are one of its privileged citizens to take its lofty Renaissance accomplishments for granted, but successive generations of visitors have come here to grasp its magnificence and leave with their cheeks flushed by the city's gilded beauty.

A few short steps from Santa Maria Novella railway station stands Florence's Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), Europe's fourth largest church and famed for its orange-tiled dome. The Baptistry, with its soaring Campanile designed by Giotto in 1334, traces its origins to the 4th century with its provenance inscribed on bronze doors. Meandering, cobbled lanes lead to the Piazza della Signoria and its famous Palazzo Vecchio, a monumental icon to the city founders' independent republicanism.

Close by, the Galleria degli Uffizi houses Italy's greatest collection of paintings, its magnificent interiors exhibiting priceless works including Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus', where he reveals the lithesome grace of his mistress who posed as a model for many of his presentations of pagan goddesses and saintly madonnas.

Walking through Florence, an overwhelming number of historic places reveal Michelangelo's statuary and lead curious eyes to pry at Palazzo Pitti and its Boboli Gardens graced by ornamental lakes and dominated by a hill on which Forte di Belvedere warns amorous couples against the intrusion of vengeful husbands. From Piazza della Signoria avid shoppers can discover the ancient quarter of San Lorenzo (named after The Magnificent). Here rises a 19th century palazzo built in stone, iron and glass consecrated to the Tuscan passion for food with galleries of butchers, greengrocers and pasta counters.

Huddling round this is a maze of al fresco stalls, retailing high quality leather goods and stylish apparel, and for those in search of the ultra chic, the district of Oltrarno, traditionally an artisans' quarter, has become one of the most illustrious fashion centres in the world.
Smart boutiques line its Borgo San Iacopo, whose tributary lanes are punctuated with exclusive restaurants, cosy bars and trattorie, specialising in delicious traditional Tuscan cuisine. Crossing the River Arno on the Ponte Vecchio, an ancient bridge crammed with jewellery workshops and goldsmith's shops, is a must during your stay in this Renaissance capital of Tuscany.