Magical Glasses #8

COLLECTION The Lungarno Collection Magazine

friends Paolo Bassetti Marcello Del Colle Georgette Jupe itineraries Rooftop terraces Roman Florence Loris Cecchini art & crafts The Ferragamo Heritage Rooms with a view Peter Brunel Styles of Mixology

NEW CITY TIPS

MAGICAL GLASSES

4-6 September | MFS Monaco 19-21 September | Première Vision Parigi 27-29 September | Milano Unica Shanghai 16-18 October | Tokyo Jitac

fabrics made in Italy |

manteco

Highlight s

COLLECTION

T he U ffizi just once in your life ?

F orget that idea : in the era of digital communication , even art destinations have become wunderkammer in constant

evolution , where by changing the order of the addends , the result changes , and changes it does .

home to the

M edusa ,

W e ’ re

at the

U ffizi ,

nestled between the

crimson panels of the main hall in the new

C aravaggio

rooms , one of the many sections

recently revamped and inaugurated

( ph . D ario G arofalo )

Highlight s

COLLECTION

“S treet

art , graffiti or urban art , vandalism

or urban furnishing , museum or street …

high floors / low floors , there ’ s always been a trend to divide things … what ’ s important is that there are eyes to see and hearts

to feel ”

(B lub , F lorentine street artist ).

J acky 46 photographed by L orenzo C otrozzi as he walks the streets of F lorence On

this page , a work by

Highlight s

COLLECTION

T he

ancient

heart of the

F lorence )

R omans sensed that the A puan A lps (70 km from

concealed a precious material :

C arrara marble , M ichelangelo B uonarroti for his masterpieces : the P ietĂ , D avid , M oses .

T oday , the techniques for working the material have changed , but nothing else has : raw material , culture , intentions ( ph . D ario G arofalo at S tatuaria A rte , N azzano C arrara ) the blinding whiteness of used by

Highlight s

COLLECTION

E roica ,

the famous cycling competition

raced on period bikes through the streets

C hianti (O ctober 8, 2018). W ith six 46- kilometre leisure route to the 209- kilometre long route , the race crosses through valleys , forests , vineyards , intrepid descents and tiring climbs . B rolio , C astelnuovo B erardenga , M ontalcino , M urlo , S iena , C astellina and R adda .

A different way to see and experience one of the

routes , from the

of the most beautiful landscapes in the world

Highlight s

COLLECTION

F or F lorentines ,

the

A rno

is a partner ,

and it has been since the earliest days of

the city .

T he R omans

transformed the area ,

founding the first settlement of what would become

A rno ,

F lorence

on the right bank of the

P onte S anta T rinita .

F lorence from the A rno is a unique experience . A vailable from A pril to S eptember .

A sk the concierge or call the R enaioli at + 39 347 7982356 ( ph . L orenzo C otrozzi )

L ooking

close to today ’ s

at

Highlight Highlight s s

CC OO L LLELC EC T ITOI O NN

D o you see the similarity ? T ake a good look …

I t ’ s F lorence ’ s own L ady L iberty , identical to the one in NY, even in name . K nown as the L iberty of P oetry , it was sculpted by P io F edi for the B asilica of S anta C roce and inaugurated in 1883. W hat ’ s interesting is that this statue inspired F rédéric -A uguste B artholdi when he designed his S tatue of L iberty , inaugurated in 1886. W hile P io F edi was beginning his preparatory sketch in 1870, B artholdi was in I taly fighting alongside G aribaldi …

15

EDITORIAL An ever yday capital

by Leonardo Ferragamo

17

NOTES Looking for secrets

by Valeriano Antonioli

40-45 EVEN ART HAS ITS RIDDLES Messages hidden in great wor ks of ar t

46-51 THE ART OF DOING Four Fer r agamos speak of ‘Fer r agamo’ in a

FRIENDS

never-before-seen gener ational compar ison

PAOLO BASETTI A place to belong

ART & STYLE

22-23

52-55

24-25

GEORGETTE JUPE How I see the Oltr ar no

ITINERARY 28-33

ROOFTOP TERRACES The most beautiful panor amic ter r aces in Florence

34-37

FLORENCE IN ANTIQUITY Bor n in Spr ing

64-69 INVENTIVE JOURNEYS The creativity of Peter Br unel, culinar y ar tist

70-75 THREE STYLES OF MIXOLOGY The Bar Manager s Marco Vezzosi, Fausto Pietropaoli and Diego

20-21

MARCELLO DEL COLLE A wor kshop of wonder s

FOOD

WATERBONES If molecules become ar t.

The ir idescent univer se of Lor is Cecchini

56-57 MAGIC MOMENTS An exhibition at Galler y Hotel Ar t celebr ating 30 year s of the Centro Pecci

58-61 ROOMS WITH A VIEW Signature suites boasting

Rampietti tell us about their wor ld

TIPS 78-81 GALLERY HOTEL ART

82-85 CONTINENTALE

86-89 HOTEL LUNGARNO

90-93 PORTRAIT FIRENZE

a front-row view

94-97

of the rooftops in Florence

PORTRAIT ROMA

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ph. alessandrobencini.com

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GALLERY HOTEL ART Florence 74 rooms and suites

CONTINENTALE Florence 43 rooms and suites

PORTRAIT FIRENZE Florence 37 suites

PORTRAIT ROMA Rome 14 suites

Stylish and utter ly char ming with stunning views onto Ponte Vecchio, the Hotel Lungar no features over 400 wor ks of ar t including Cocteau and Picasso.

Italy’s fir st design hotel, the Galler y Hotel Ar t is a favor ite amongst the fashion set of Florence .

Just a few steps from Ponte Vecchio.

Over looking the Ponte Vecchio, this vibr ant and dynamic contempor ar y hotel is the place to be and to be seen in Florence .

Spacious and intimate suites, the attention of a char ming hotel, and a wonderful view of the Ponte Vecchio.

The finest location in Rome , on Via Condotti, a stone’s throw away from the Spanish Steps, the Por trait Suites ROMA reflects the glamour of life of Salvatore Ferragamo.

VILLA LE ROSE Florence 6 bedroom villa

PALAZZO C APPONI Meetings & Events

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Just minutes away from the hear t of Florence, this 16th centur y Villa is a one of a kind historic residence with relaxing garden, delightful pool, frescoed salons and six private suites.

This 15 th centur y Palace with sumptuous frescoes and the latest technology, provides a magical stage for meetings, congresses and prestigious events in the hear t of Florence.

On the Tuscan coast, in the hear t of Maremma, this unique destination features contemporar y and ultra spacious apar tments over looking the sea.

Swan Yachts are considered some of the finest yachts in the wor ld.

This Collection of 4 yachts offer s an exclusive sea vacation with routes to the Mediterranean Islands and the Caribbean.

BOOKING & INFO - LUNGARNO COLLECTION Bor go S.S.Apostoli, 29- Firenze - Ph. +39 055 27264000 - reser vations@lungar nocollection.com

COLLECTION

The Lungarno Collection Magazine N.8 Issue 2018-2019 EDITOR IN CHIEF MATTEO PARIGI BINI CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF TERESA FAVI EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VALERIANO ANTONIOLI MANAGING EDITOR CRISTINA FOGLIATTO EDITOR SABRINA BOZZONI, FRANCESC A LOMBARDI, VIRGINIA MAMMOLI CONTRIBUTORS PAOLO BASETTI, ROSSELLA BATTISTA, DANIELA BRUNI, FRANCESC A BRUSCHI, MARCELLO DEL COLLE, GEORGETTE JUPE, MILA MONTAGNI, FRANCESC A MORTALE, C ATERINA PINI, ANDREA SPAGNULO PHOTOGRAPHERS LORENZO COTROZZI, SOFIE DELAUW, MARTINO DINI, C ARLO FEI, DARIO GAROFALO MASSIMO LISTRI, MIKI NAKANO, NEWPRESSPHOTO, PASQUALE PARADISO, VALENTINA STEFANELLI, ESTER VULPIANI COVER WATERBONES (CLIMBING) ON THE GALLERY HOTEL ART FAC ADE, PHOTO BY LEIC A FIRENZE ART EDITORS MARTINA ALESSI, CHIARA BINI TRANSLATIONS THE FLORENTINE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ALEX VITTORIO LANA ADVERTISING ALESSANDRA NARDELLI, DANIELA ZAZZERI PUBLISHER GRUPPO EDITORIALE (ALEX VITTORIO LANA & MATTEO PARIGI BINI) WWW.GRUPPOEDITORIALE.COM

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Editorial

COLLECTION

An ever yday capital ph. Miki Nakano

Leonardo Ferragamo, President of Lungarno Collection

A rt

and culture , born spontaneously in our territory , have been fostered for centuries by the impact that each one of us promises every day , down to the smallest details Tuscany and culture go hand-

doing things well, ever y day, with

in-hand, jour neying together

will and passion; that which is

across centur ies of extr aordinar y

found in the little things that

histor y.

we create , compose , invent in

I’m thinking above all of the

ever y moment to uphold the

culture that has always inspired

community that sur rounds us.

the meaning of beauty and

Ar t is that impact on daily life

know-how, two elements that

that we want to guar antee , with

were bor n spontaneously in our

our gestures and our actions.

ter r itor y and which over time

My effor ts have always been

have become an unpar alleled

inspired by this.

Italian her itage , strongly

Tuscany, Florence , culture and ar t

per meating ever y aspect of our

have never been separ able .

lives.

And they never will be . But the

But ar t isn’t just culture . Ar t is

single , impassioned suppor t

also that special penchant for

of each of us remains manifest.

15

Notes

COLLECTION

Looking for secrets Valeriano Antonioli, CEO of Lungarno Collection

F lorence

is the city of a thousand ambitions and a thousand hidden secrets , which will be revealed in this issue of ‘C ollection ’ Florence: ever ything here conceals a secret. From the attention to detail given day after day to the displays of the fresh vegetable stalls in the mar kets throughout the historic centre to the juxtapositions that seem random – but are hardly so – in the ar tisan wor kshops that spill out onto the sidewalks; from the love that’s behind the grocer’s gestures as he makes a simple sandwich to the precise and delicate touch of the pavement ar tists who masterfully replicate a detail of Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine next to the cathedral. If you think of how the backdrop to all these small treasures are the great wonder s

of the Renaissance, then you can under stand why Florence is the city of a thousand ambitions and a thousand hidden secrets, which will be revealed in this issue of Collection.

Our company conserves a few of its own ar tistic secrets. Ever y one of our hotels is home to pieces from var ious per iods and styles, each with beautiful stor ies to tell: from the collection at Hotel Lungar no and it’s more than 450 or iginal ar twor ks from the 20th centur y by ar tists like Picasso, Cocteau and Bueno to contempor ar y ar t’s Lor is Cecchini and his splendid installation Waterbones at

17

Galler y Hotel Ar t, which boasts a collabor ation with the Centro di ar te Contempor anea Luigi Pecci and Galler ia Continua.

Then there’s the final secret that I would like to share with you: the magical glasses, the dr iving theme of this magazine . I invite you to wear these vir tual reality goggles as you walk through the city, which will help you discover never-bebefore-seen details of Florence that ever ywhere to be found, not just in front of you, but also with your eyes to the sky and beneath your feet.

What’s there to say: Let’s put on our glasses and…enjoy the tr ip!

friends Paolo Basetti Marcello Del Colle Georgette Jupe

MAGICAL GLASSES 19

A portrait of P aolo B asetti , the man behind the recovery

U pper B otanical 1980 s ( ph . M artino D ini )

of the

G arden

in the early

Friends

COLLECTION

A place to belong Paolo Basetti

I came here for the fir st time when I was 19 year s old: I never would have thought that this is where I would remain; it was one of those or ientation inter nships that you do more to be sure of having thought of the future r ather than out of any real conviction.

Boboli is about 30 hectares in size: we walked for a long time before coming

P aolo B asetti , curator of the ‘G iardino degli A nanassi ’ at the B oboli G ardens , leads us on a special visit through nature , philosophy

to the Upper Botanical Garden (also known by its 19th-centur y name Giardino degli Ananassi). I wanted to star t cutting the gr ass, pulling out the old weeds: it was an inexplicable need,

and excitement

it was love… It was the ear ly 1980s when I began to wor k on recover ing this space , tr ansfor med over the cour se of the 1800s from a for mal garden into a Romantic par k – with plants from all over the wor ld – by Filippo Par latore , botanist and director of Boboli. I pored over documents from that er a, looked for the plants one by one . This garden, all gardens, are a

BOOK

wonderful time machine . You can read

Progettare la

IMAGE

In July and August,

Natura by Fr anco

Peonies blooming

when the recently

Panzini: the ear th

in late Apr il: it

as mother and

only lasts a few

protector of man,

days, but it’s a

but it’s also a

unique sight

histor y, layer s, costumes… And ever y garden looks after those who take care of it: it’s a philosophical r appor t. It’s for this reason that when we enter a garden, we’re overcome with a sense of quietude and serenity… “All that

WHEN TO VISIT

technical book.

is ver y well,” answered Candide, “but

For under standing

let us cultivate our garden.” (Candide,

gardens

Voltaire).

21

unveiled tropical water lilies in the lar ge pools are in bloom

SCENT The English roses: it’s the most moder n par t of the garden

Friends

COLLECTION

A workshop of wonders Marcello Del Colle

Ever y day, when I arrive at the wor kshop, in the hear t of the city, and I see the large blocks of marble and wor k tools exactly like the ones used during the Renaissance , I think of how for tunate I am. For more than 30 year s, I’ve led a team of 10 people , the staff at the Opera del Duomo Workshop. Here , the 14th centur y blends seamlessly with the 21st centur y, it can be seen in the hands that wor k the marble and have wor ked it for centuries, since 1296 to be exact. All the great master s that have made the monumental complex

M arcello D el C olle , at the helm of the O pera del D uomo W orkshop , which has overseen the conser vation and restoration of S anta M aria del F iore talks to us about this immense artistic heritage

of Santa Maria del Fiore unique have passed through these door s. Filippo Br unelleschi came here with his drawings to talk to the master builder.

I think about this ever y morning and it makes me proud. The restoration that we wor k on at the cathedral complex is a total one: we wor k on conser vation with avant-garde technology, inter vening even on priceless ar twor ks. Over time , the marble used for the sculptures and columns takes on the consistency of

WONDER

PLANS We’re wor king

THE MARBLE

The cathedral’s

on a replica of

We use Carrara

dome awes me

salt. We replace the wor ks with identical the sculptures of copies made entirely by hand. Each one three popes from

marble from the

of us must know ever y single piece

the 19th-centur y

perfect because

façade

it’s resistant and

of the complex down to the smallest

Torano quarr y: it’s

details, and to gain such a thorough

doesn’t have any

level of under standing you would

veins

ever y time I look at it. If you go inside the church, take a minute to admire it

WHERE TO GO FOR A SANDWICH AT LUNCH The Trippaio del Porcellino in piazza del Mercato

need to spend at least 10 year s in the

Nuovo. With

wor kshop.

lampredotto

22

nzo, dove?

M arcello D el C olle , in the “ bottega � on V ia dello S tudio .

T he workshop was transferred here about halfway through the

19 th

century

G eorgette J upe , a ‘T uscan T exan ’ freelance writer , blogger and digital marketing maven based

S he ’ s

in

F lorence

a one of the city ’ s

most followed social influencers on

I nstagram

Friends

COLLECTION

How I see the Oltrarno Georgette Jupe

My decision to move from the U.S. to Italy happened by chance . I had planned to study for a year in London, but just before I left, I chose Florence .

The fact that my ar ticle about San Frediano went vir al was a real sur pr ise , and I had to wor k on myself in order to manage the positive and negative aspects of the attention I received.

My day in the Oltrarno begins with a cappuccino at Caffè degli Artigiani, then I stop by Giannini, the ar tisan bookbinder who introduced me to marbled paper. In Santo Spir ito I enjoy the colourful shop windows by

G eorgette J upe is the woman behind last year ’ s article in L onely P lanet that brought the S an F rediano neighbourhood back to life . S he spoke to us about her O ltrarno

Angela Caputi, then I chat with my fr iends at La Cité. I love the Church of Santo Spir ito, where you can find Michelangelo’s Crucifixion. In Bor go San Frediano, my go-to place for desser ts is Dolce Emporio, where I buy some of the “San Frediano Gr andmas’ Cookies”.

Lunch is at Trattoria Sabatino: r avioli in sauce and roasted veal. Then it’s time DOGGY FRIENDLY for a quick coffee at Volume before

WORKSHOPS

STROLL

heading to Officina Nora, where I look

I love dogs. With

Moler ia Locchi,

One of my

my beagle Ginger,

the Ippogr ifo, the

I usually go to

Antico Setificio

For te Belvedere

Fiorentino

and the Ar no’s

and WoodnCut,

“little beach,”

ver y cool

at the jeweller y produced by emer ging ar tisans. Towards piazza Tasso, after saying hi to the violin maker Claudio Arezio, I go to Circolo Aurora for an aperitivo. At the end of the evening, I sip on a cocktail at the incompar able

PLACES FOR A

Easy Living

favour ite is between Por ta Romana and Viale Machiavelli, all the way to the Church of San Miniato al Monte

Mads Souls&Spirit or the myster ious Rasputin.

25

CHARACTERISTIC TRADEMARKS My camera (a Fujifilm X-t20), my bangs, red lipstick and my blog Gir l in Florence

i t i n e r a ry Rooftop terraces you can visit Florence in antiquity

MAGICAL GLASSES

On

the

U ffizi T errace ,

you ’ ll feel

as if you can reach out and touch

A rnolfo ’ s tower atop P alazzo V ecchio . O n the right page : the B oboli G ardens seen from the terrace at Paaaaaa alazzo P itti

I tinerar y

COLLECTION

R oo f top ter r aces

The most beautiful panoramic terraces in Florence

It’s

Marcel Proust was r ight when he said, “The real voyage of discover y consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

an almost abstract beauty the one you

can see as you look down on the curtain of

red roofs dotted with domes , towers and bell

towers , while life marches on in the ancient

We did just that, ar med with eyes and objectives, visiting the most

streets and along the banks of the

beautiful ter r aces in Florence , discover ing a geometr ic , austere , precise city that not even Mondr ian could have imagined.

And if, in the 1400s, it was Vasar i, having known a thing or two about geometr y, who offered a few tips, it was gener ations of architects, builder s and stone-cutter s who stretched that precision to present day. From above , the order of the line stands out to the cur ious eye , especially when the eye comes across the three “pieces” that wrote the manifesto of the Italian Renaissance: the baptister y, cathedr al and San Miniato.

These three wonder s made of white and green marble are clear ly visible from the magnificent ter r ace at Villa Bardini (Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 7pm, Costa S.

Gior gio, 2 ), where the leaves of the trees, playing hide-and-seek with the Lungar ni, mystify the set.

From up here , when the sky is clear, you can see all the way to Abetone , enjoy a view of Giotto’s imposing bell tower, and watch as Florence tr ansfor ms into Venice as it’s reflected in the Ar no’s water s, boasting an ir resistible “lagoon” effect.

Moving on, we now gaze upon the city from a new per spective , and it appear s melancholic and still, where only histor y breaks the silence .

Florence’s tale is told by the pietra

29

A rno

T he large terrace at V illa B ardini , immersed in nature and boasting a view of

F lorence

below

30

31

A bove : P iazza del D uomo seen B runelleschi ’ s dome .

B elow : T he terrace of C affè del V erone at the I stituto degli I nnocenti

from atop

32

L a T errazza

at the hotel

C ontinentale

and the

C onsorti

tower

serena and pietra for te that

the cathedr al with one hand and

cathedr al, Santa Croce and the

make up the tall Gothic façades

the pistachio-coloured dome of

tower of the Church of Santa

and the palaces with their faded

the Synagogue with the other,

Felicita.

yellow colour ing. The br ightest are

just think of the jolts of life that

The final sur pr ise can be found

plastered white . There aren’t any

are still taking place all around

on La Terrazza at the hotel

balconies, but r ather a long row of

Sant’Ambrogio, with the ear ly-

Continentale (ever y day 12.30pm

closed windows with bar k-coloured

season mar ket and the wor kshops

– 11.30pm, vicolo dell’Oro, 6). In

shutter s. Our gaze insists. We can

that embr ace it.

an evocative atmosphere atop the

see beyond the tall oak trees to the But a tr uly thr illing exper ience

medieval Consor ti tower, offer ing

br idges over the Ar no, stretched

awaits you on the terrace on the

a view of the city skyline, you can

like violin bows, and the cur tain of

left side of Palazzo Pitti. In those

enjoy breath-taking sunsets over

red roofs dotted with domes and

600 metres closed off to the

the Ar no. And all around you? The

tower s: San Lorenzo, Santa Croce ,

public (it’s only open for special

master pieces of Florence , from

the cathedr al, the shar p spire of

events), you’ll feel like a VIP. And

Br unelleschi’s dome to Giotto’s

the bell tower of Badia fiorentina

cour se , there’s via Guicciardini.

bell tower to the Ponte Vecchio.

and the Bar gello’s own tower, the

Who’d have thought? Palaces in the

La Ter r azza is one of the places

colour of sand.

middle of it all but which, inside ,

to be for an aperitivo with a

It’s an almost abstr act beauty the

conceal the luxur y of magnificent

view, but not ever yone knows that

one you see from the terrace at

pr ivate ter r aces, over looking the

it’s available for pr ivate booking

the Innocenti Museum (ever y day,

Boboli Gardens to boot. From

for special events, including

10am – 7pm, piazza della Santissima Bellosguardo to Boboli, moving

engagements, bir thday par ties or

Annunziata, 13), and while you

clockwise , you can see the Specola,

even just dinner with a view of

feel as if you could almost touch

a par t of piazza San Felice , the

Florence .

33

T he R oman theatre could seat 15,000 spectators and was one of the largest public buildings

On

34

R oman F lorence .

J ulius C aesar , L ouvre , P aris in

the right : statue of

Hidden

COLLECTION

Bor n in Spr ing Florence in Antiquity

T ext M ila M ontagni - D rawings M arco M ilanesi

The men that built Florentia (Florence’s name when it was founded in 59 BCE) were soldier s who had fought for Julius Caesar dur ing the Gallic War s, Romans who had spent 25 year s away from their homes and their fields, and who around the fir st half of the 1st centur y BCE received land

C limb aboard the time machine to discover ‘F lorentia ’, the colony founded by J ulius C aesar ’ s legionnaires on their return from the G allic W ars in 59 BCE. A n alternative way of looking at the city known as the cradle of R enaissance

to far m as compensation sur rounding the banks of the Ar no River, fer tile but mar shy.

del Cor so, via degli Speziali and via

FLORENCE’S ORIGINS

Strozzi), with a Forum at the centre ,

Even if a settlement already existed

the hear t of religious, public and

before their ar r ival, it was Caesar’s legionnaires that developed the castrum that we can still recognize today if we look at the city from atop Giotto’s bell tower or Br unelleschi’s dome . It’s the classic model of a

commercial life in the new colony, now piazza della Repubblica.

In the ear ly days of Florence, there were between 2,000 and 2,500 inhabitants. Just like today, the Arno flowed all the way to the sea, but it

Roman encampment: rectangular,

was navigable all the way to Pisa, and

two centr al streets: the cardo (from

the city.

nor th to south, today’s via Roma and

THE THEATRE UNDER PALAZZO

via Calimala) and the decumano (from

VECCHIO

protected by walls and defense tower s, for this reason, it became an essential accessed via four gates and mar ked by exchange route for tr ade and wealth in

east to west, cor responding with via

Some of the Romans’ favour ite places

35

Hidden

COLLECTION

T he

bigger baths of

F lorentia

built where

P iazza

della

S ignoria

is located today

for relaxing and having a good time –

via Isola delle Stinche and via de’

countdown and we find our selves

what we would call socializing today

Bentaccordi. This is where gladiator

for just a few minutes – the length

– were all centered around what is

games were held, some involving

of the under ground visit – launched

now piazza della Signor ia: in addition

ferocious animals, especially lions,

into the city of Julius Caesar’s

to the theatre (which could seat

which were kept in cages installed in

legionnaires. Other r uins can be

15,000 spectator s and whose r uins

nar row and badly illuminated tunnels:

visited under the cathedr al – the

were discovered under neath Palazzo

via delle Burelle takes its name from

Cr ypt of Santa Repar ata – and the

Vecchio), there were also the largest

the memor y of those dar k spaces.

baptister y (daily except Sunday.

baths in Florentia, one of three in

WHAT REMAINS TODAY

For info and reser vations, +39 055

the city. The Romans also built the

After the fall of the Roman Empire ,

2302885), and in via Calimar uzza

fir st br idge over the Ar no, destroyed

the levels of the city were developed (souther n gate).

dur ing the Barbar ic invasions and later one atop the other compactly and

THE EXPERIENCE

replaced by the Ponte Vecchio a few

unifor mly. It’s for this reason that no

The name Florentia seems to be

metres fur ther down.

monuments dating to the Roman city

tied to the season when it was

THE AMPHITHEATRE AND THE

remain today.

founded, spr ing, a per iod considered

LIONS’ C AGES

The ancient ruins of the Roman

auspicious by Romans, dur ing which

Dur ing a per iod of peace under

theatre can be seen under Palazzo

the blooming flower s tr ansfor med

Emperor Hadr ian (2nd centur y

Vecchio, the entr ance to which is

the countr yside in Centr al Italy into

CE), when Florence reached 10,000

under neath the ticket office (Monday colourful oceans of flor a.

inhabitants, an amphitheatre with

to Saturday, 9.30 am to 1pm and

To get an idea of the spectacle that

20,000 seats was built outside the

2pm to 5pm, Sunday and holidays,

Julius Ceasar’s veterans awed at,

city walls (in the cur rent Santa Croce

9.30am to 12.30pm. For info and

dur ing the month of May just head

neighbourhood), modest in size if

reser vations: MUSE, ph. +39 055

down the SS222, between Florence

compared to the Colosseum, which

2768224). Here , where the oldest

and Chianti, and you will feel as

could house up to 87,000 spectator s.

par t of Florentia mer ges seamlessly

if you were swimming in a sea of

Its outline can be seen today in

with medieval Florence , our time

wild flowers, including Irises, not

the cur vilinear shape of via Torta,

machine begins a mir aculous

coincidently the symbol of Florence.

36

A bove :

R oman theatre P alazzo V ecchio

the ruins of the ancient

can be seen underneath

B elow : a detail of the mosaic floor in the crypt of S anta R eparata underneath the C athedral of S anta M aria del F iore in F lorence ( on the left ); via de ’ B entaccordi , whose curved shape follows the outline of the ancient amphitheatre ( on the right )

37

a r t s t y l e s to r y Hidden messages in the art masterpieces An exclusive encounter with Angelica Visconti, Diego Paternò Castello di San Giuliano, James and Jerry Ferragamo Loris Cecchini at Gallery Hotel Art Gallery Hotel Art celebrating 30 years of Centro Pecci Rooms with a view

MAGICAL GLASSES

A rtemisia G entileschi , ‘J udith S laying H olophernes ’, G allerie degli U ffizi

40

Me s s a ge s hi dden in g re a t wor ks of ar t Even art has its riddles

41

at

42

F ilippino O Lutside ippi ‘M adonna and the C hild ’ U ffizi G allerie degli UGffizi allery

Heritage

COLLECTION

Por tr aits of lover s, self-por tr aits, coded messages and clear allusions: a good par t of major ar twor ks hide aspects of the pr ivate lives of the ar tists that made them. A dash of zest will tr ansfor m your holiday in Florence into something intr iguing.

A

good part of major artworks hide private

W hen

aspects of the artist ’ s life .

you walk amongst the streets of the

historic centre or visit its museums ,

you won ’ t want to forget these stories !

You’ll want an eye for detail when you walk the streets of the histor ic centre or visit its museums, and of cour se , you won’t want to for get

Vecchio. Was it an archaic symbol

tr ap, and not coincidentally, their

commissioned by Savonarola or really

motto was per non dormire, or for

a UFO? The message inser ted by

not sleeping.

Sandro Botticelli, on the other hand,

The fr iar Filippo Lippi was cer tainly

in his Pallas and the Centaur, now in

as aler t as the Salimbeni family when

the Uffizi, is quite clear : intelligence

he fell in love with the beautiful nun

against br ute force . In a tr ibute to

Lucrezia Buti. Thanks to Cosimo the

the diplomatic abilities of Lorenzo

Elder’s fr iendship with Pope Eugene

the Magnificent, who was able to

IV, the two were able to live together

make a fr iend out of his ter r ible

and have a family. Lucrezia was the

nemesis Fer r ante , King of Naples, in

model for Filippo’s Vir gin Mar ys and

the wake of the Pazzi Conspir acy,

at the Uffizi, you can see her with

Pallas can be seen bear ing the

their young son, Filippino, painted as

symbols of Lorenzo. Keeping with

an impish cher ub in Lippi’s Madonna

the theme of symbolism, take a look

and Child. After all, ar tists had to

at the ledge on Palazzo Salimbeni

get their models from somewhere .

in piazza Santa Trinita: do you see

For his Madonna della Seggiola, in

them? Exactly, they’re opium poppies,

Palazzo Pitti, Raphael dressed Mar y

which the cunning merchant family

as an odalisque using his lover as

Madonna and Child Enthroned

gave to their r ivals in order to ensure

the model, La For nar ina. Smug and

with a Young St. John the Baptist

they got the better merchandise .

lacking inhibition, Titian’s lover was

They built their for tune with this

probably his model as well for Venus

these stor ies!

A bull’s head peer s out from one of the ledges of the cathedral on the nor th tr ansept. It’s said that one of the stone-cutter s had an affair with the wife of a butcher who lived just across the street. So, the cr afty little devil installed the hor ned animal in plain view, a symbol of being cuckolded. And while we’re speaking about hor ns, what can we say about poor Moses? Ever yone , including Michelangelo, depicted him with a pair of hor ns because of a mistr anslation from Hebrew that inter preted rays as horn. What’s still today inexplicable is that flying disc that appear s in the sky in the

by Sebastiano Mainardi in Palazzo

43

A bove : the V enus of U rbino by T itian , U ffizi R ight page : B otticelli , P allas and the C entaure , U ffizi P review page : G iambologna ‘T he equestrian statue of F erdinand I de ’ M edici ( detail ), S ebastiano M ainardi ‘M adonna and C hild enthroned ’, M ichelangelo ‘M oses ’, N orth transept of the C athedral of F lorence

of Urbino, at the Uffizi, the famous

he wrote on walls, or r ather, dirtied

nude made at the height of the

them: the profile on one of the

Counter-Refor mation and which was

stones on the souther n façade of

followed by equally famous nudes,

Palazzo Vecchio was made by him.

Venuses char acter ized by the same

But Bernini was definitely vehement

pictor ial touch and shown in a var iety

when it came to his mistress

of per spectives… And if Artemisia

Costanza Bonarelli. The Bargello is

Gentileschi painted her self as Judith

home to a splendid bust that shows

Slaying Holofernes, still in the Uffizi

us how fier y the woman was who,

today, as a way to take avenge her

mar r ied to one of the sculptor’s

honour on the ancient, most complex

assistants, was fir st a lover of Ber nini,

r apist in histor y, it was Benvenuto

and later his brother. The ar tist

Cellini who gave the heroic Perseus

got revenge by disfigur ing her face ,

in the Loggia dei Lanzi the face of

but he didn’t want to give up the

Cosimo I de’ Medici, though he cast

sculpture . A puzzle for ever yone

his own self-por tr ait behind the

is the one left by Gianbologna,

helmet. Just as Michelangelo did

commissioned by Ferdinand I de’

when he sculpted Nicodemus for

Medici to design an equestrian

his Pietà at the Opera del Duomo

statue in piazza Santissima

Museum. It was meant to be his

Annunziata: a queen bee sur rounded

funer ar y monument. He was old and

by a labyr inthine swar m of bees. But

tired. But in his youth, he had a real

how many are there? Ninety… one

temper ament. Not only because he

hundred… Maiestate Tantum… The

was prone to fights, but also because

motto is appropr iate .

44

aaaaaaa

45

46

T he A r t of Doi ng Four Ferragamos speak of ‘Ferragamo’ in a never-before-seen generational comparison T ext T eresa F avi P hoto D ario G arofalo

47

T here are still about 200 stages for producing O utside a S alvatore F erragamo the U ffizi shoe , from cut G allery to packaging

48

Heritage

COLLECTION

F rom

the left :

J erry F erragamo , D iego P aternò C astello

di

S an G iuliano , J ames F erragamo , A ngelica V isconti

It’s

“Ar t is the will to do, but, fir st and foremost, the will to learn. And after you’ve learnt, it’s the passion to teach other s”, says Jerr y Ferragamo, a.k.a Dr. Jerr y, as he is known in the company.

Born in 1929, he worked alongside Salvatore Ferragamo and is the guardian

a once - in - a - lifetime encounter between the guardian

S alvatore F erragamo ’ s art , D r . J erry , A ngelica , J ames and D iego , of

the third generation to be actively involved in the family business

of his techniques and secrets. After the death of the founder, prematurely in 1960, he was commissioned by the

between ever y word is the same pro-

and become a shoemaker with him

gressive tension with which Ferragamo

in Florence. He wanted a per son he

decided to leave the United States for

could trust, he looked within his family

the sole purpose of making the wor ld’s

and chose me. I found myself amongst

best shoes in the city that offered

shoemaker s, lost like a little boy who

the best craftsmen and materials, and,

had, until then, only ever studied. For

above all, a knowledge that has been

the first two year s, I only watched. My

lost in the passage of time between

uncle stuck me next to the ar tisans in

the halls of museums and the sculpted

the Palazzo Feroni labs to learn all the

facades of ancient palazzos.

stages of the craft. “

“Uncle Salvatore had been in Florence

“I realised,” continues Jerr y, who, to

generation actively involved in the

for many year s. I was a young medical

make his mother happy, graduated

family business. What is the secret and

student who dreamed of moving to

in Economics, stretching himself thin

the United States to become a doctor.

between study and the company,

In 1950, he invited me to move from

“that each single wor ker excelled at

Bonito - our hometown in Campania –

one par t of the entire project with a

and join him in Chianciano, for a heal-

pure spirit of elevation that he, a man

ing sojourn,” says Dr. Jerry, Salvatore’s

of munificence and generosity, never

older brother’s son. “In the two weeks

missed an oppor tunity to praise. He

we spent together, he revolutionized

said there was room for ever yone in

all my projects, opened my mind and

the wor ld, no matter what job you did

convinced me to give up ever ything

or what duty you had, as long as you

family to navigate the passage from byhand measurements, at Palazzo Feroni, modelled on the shape of the customer’s foot, to an innovative process, but still with a custom-made mould. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, an encounter between the direct guardian of Salvatore Ferragamo’s art and Angelica Visconti, James Ferragamo and Diego Paternò Castello di San Giuliano, three of Salvatore’s grandchildren, the third

how is this “ar t” perceived, cultivated and carried out by the younger generation?

On the fir st floor of the new Q building, at the hear t of Ferragamo’s production centre just outside Florence, timeless moments, phrases, methods and r ules emerge in continuous evolution and refinement. And woven

49

did it better than anybody else. And

ment from those principles, they did it

we know it all,” says James. “We all un-

never gave up. If you made a mistake,

with great pain.” Walking between the

derstand the impor tance of learning,

star t again. With this philosophy, the

benches of this wor kshop is like brows- to never stop at what has been done

best out of ever y per son was realised.” ing a galler y of the details that make a

in the past. We live in a dynamic that

“Today, grandfather is present in ever y

difference, removing one would mean

is always evolving. Innovative materials

aspect of the company, in ever y action

removing something fundamental to

are sought with an obsession in the

and ever y step of the process, especial- the comfor t, beauty and extraordinar y

most disparate fields from automotive

ly when a more experienced employee

fit of the Ferragamo shoe.” “I always

to aerospace. Dr. Jerr y, who is a great

teaches something to a younger one,”

think of his words: ‘The value of my

technician and credited with developing

says James, Vice-President of Ferrag-

name and brand is entrusted to ever y

and defining the sophisticated classifi-

amo since April 2018. “I remember

single pair of shoes that ever y woman

cation system that allows a Ferragamo

when I fir st entered Ferragamo,” adds

puts on ever y day’.

shoe today to be as close as possible

Diego, who in 2000, began at the Ses-

Making a product better than anyone

to a custom-made shoe, continues to

to Fiorentino Manovia to star t learn-

else is still the basis of Salvatore Fer-

study and work on the shapes and so-

ing from the bottom, “the thing that

ragamo’s marketing strategy, star ting

called fit volumes to allow the company

str uck me most was that the people

with women’s shoes. Now, as back then, to maintain and evolve its unicum.”

who wor ked in the technical hear t

we focus on products with a strong

“Ours is a craftsmanship that evolves,

of manufacturing our shoes identified

fashion sense whose excellence is

using innovation in the highest sense

completely with our grandfather’s val-

entrusted to ver y high technical stan-

of the word,” says Diego, Vice-Presi-

ues. Rules, meticulous steps, the unique

dards. That’s our ar t, style combined

dent of Ferragamo Finanziaria “But it

and ver y precise ways of producing

with comfor t,” says Angelica, Commer-

remains,” he concludes, “that man is

the product. And whenever there were

cial Director of Ferragamo Southern

behind the machine, not the other way

discussions with the stylists, when

Europe.

around. In ever y depar tment, division,

they were asked to veer even a frag-

“But none of us, even today, feels like

laborator y and office.”

50

A

craftsmanship that evolves

in the highest sense of the word for products with a strong fashion sense that are made following very high technical standards .

L eft

page : a moment of

S alvatore F erragamo laboratories at P alazzo F eroni in 1938 intense work in the

51

‘W aterbones 2018 by L oris C ecchini ’ on the wall atelierof G allery H otel A rt on V icolo dell ’O ro . O n right : the A rtist

52

I nterview

COLLECTION

If molecules become ar t The iridescent universe of Loris Cecchini T ext R ossella

battista

He plays with light and insists that architecture bend to the will of sculpture , or in his case , it would be better to say the will of multimateriality. Loris Cecchini, born in 1969, is an experimenter but also an ar tist who likes to leave the spectator

T he

facade of

G allery H otel A rt ,

dell ’O ro , gifts its guests and

as a whole the wonder of a

site - specific installation .

both unveil and conceal at the same time . And, like a chameleon, they change and transform, expanding and contracting like enormous lungs.

Waterbones is the installation that adorns the façade-stage of Galler y Hotel Art in vicolo dell’Oro, enclosing

like this, such ar tistic endeavour s overwhelming them as they gaze up at the façade , and sometimes, in the

small piazza surrounding the hotel like it like an enormous spider web. Its steel a Venetian calle. By choosing such a modules are brought to life by Cecchini, renowned ar tist (his prices easily reach one of the most innovative and active ar tists on the Italian scene , who bestows them with the warmth of living forms: bones, lace , spider webs, waves.

“Waterbones is actually an oxymoron,” he admits, “it’s a poetic title that allows me a sor t of morphological freedom. I

F lorence contemporary ,

W aterbones

will

inspire you to walk with your eyes to the sky

with a seed of doubt. His installations

Or bones. Water bones to be exact.

in vicolo

5 digits), the Galler y has reinforced and made tangible the ar tistic component that it has long carried in its DNA, right down to its ver y name , declaring quite clear ly the growth of this inclination in harmony with Florence and its histor y.

Loris Cecchini, a large-scale site-

use modules for various aggregations.”

specific installation, iridescent and

This is the fifth time Galler y Hotel Ar t

modular, in line with your style…

welcomes its guests with a surprise

In this case , the wor k is 19 x 7

53

A

S teel modules C ecchini uses to amalgamate , expand ,

view of which

distort the space or the

S ponsor

architecture .

of the project ,

the textile company

M anteco

recently

celebrated its

75 th

anniversary

54

Ex hibitions

COLLECTION

metres, all steel. The light is absorbed

you already have other ideas in mind?

vicolo dell’Oro. This kind of ar twor k

and reflected. Its quality, just like its

I love to over lap different techniques,

is fir st and foremost a dialogue with

intensity that comes from the material

including photography, like I did in

the place that hosts it, which in tur n

itself, allows for an infinite number of

San Gimignano. The possibilities are

is reinter preted, obser ved with fresh

reflections. The use of modules gives

endless. And it could amaze you to

eyes by the viewer.

me so many possibilities.

know that the exhibition I’m preparing

The future is full for an ar tist that

In the past, the great architect

right now for Geneva will only feature

admits to not being able to resist the

Brunelleschi introduced the use of

watercolour s. In just a few days, I’ll be

impulse of the cur iosity that dr ives

the module for reinforcing the idea of

heading to New Yor k for an installation,

them to explore new wor lds, like

harmony and proportion, but in your

then in the autumn I’m off to China,

China and Japan, and increasingly more

case…

where I already have two projects,

exper imental techniques.

I use modules in accordance with the

one for the government and another

This installation is the result of a

space , or I even modify it. I’ve always

for a private company. While in Italy, I

project of collabor ative patronage

had a close relationship with science ,

have shows planned for Rome , Milan

that, along with Galler y Hotel Art,

as well as nature , specifically the

and Prato, where one of my sculptures

also involved the Centro Pecci in

environment, and sculpture . I think of

will be bought by the civic librar y in

Pr ato – the foremost contempor ar y

the modules as molecules that endlessly September.

ar t museum in Tuscany and one of the

reproduce , and all the while transform

What do you think of being the first

top in Italy – for its 30th anniver sar y,

themselves. It’s what molecules do. It’s

thing a tourist sees when they arrive

as well as Galleria Continua and a

chemistr y, if you will, but it’s extremely

in Florence?

major company in the textile industr y,

human, carnal. Ever ything is linked to

My installations are also a language ,

Manteco, who celebr ated its 75th

molecules and ever ything develops and

and as such, they’re open to a myr iad

anniver sar y with this project.

regresses and progresses thanks to that

of inter pretations and tr anslations

Once again, Florence tr aces the

infinitesimal par t of existence .

that depend on the cultur al baggage

magical mix of ar t, city, obser ver s,

There’s an entire world in a simple

of those who obser ve them. What’s

institutions and pr ivate initiatives in

rod of steel. It’s incredible. But will

impor tant is establishing a dialogue ,

the name of beauty. Just like seven

you stick with your water bones or do

even with histor y itself, as happens in

centur ies ago…

55

G allery H otel A rt is hosting works by

21 I talian artists until D ecember 30, in celebration of 30 years of creativity at the

C entro P ecci

56

Art

COLLECTION

S ome

paintings on display in the exhibition , including two works by

L amberto P ignotti

and

G uido S artorelli

Magic moments

An exhibition at Gallery Hotel Art celebrating 30 years of the Centro Pecci T ext F rancesca L ombardi

Galler y Hotel Ar t reconfir ms its role

and gr affiti, poetic and musical

inter preted by Elisabetta Gut and

as a suppor ter of contempor ar y

exper iences and inquir ies into

a poetic tr ibute to John Lennon by

ar t and its styles with a beautiful

and appropr iations of the wor ld

Mauro Manfredi introduce the rest

exhibition celebr ating Italian ar t

of communication and cinema.

of the exhibition, where visitor s

from the second half of the 20th

The ar twor ks, selected from the

can also find a blend of styles

centur y to today, featur ing 30 small

per manent collection at the Pecci,

and mater ials by the visual poets

but highly impor tant ar twor ks.

are on display on the ground

Stelio Maria Mar tini, Luciano Ori,

As of last spr ing, the perfect bond

floor of the Galler y, in the lobby,

Lamber to Pignotti, Eugenio Miccini

has been for ged between Galler y

librar y, Sala Cha and Fusion Bar

and Arrigo Lora Totino; the show

Hotel Ar t and the Centro Pecci, one

& Restaurant. The exhibition is

ends with the tr anscendental “sky”

of the most impor tant contempor ar y unexpected, as its title suggests,

by Luca Maria Patella at the end

ar t museums in Italy. Until December

Works of Ar t and Magic Moments,

of the Sala Cha and two seductive

31, the common areas of the hotel

inspired by an ir reverent collage

“var iations” of objects by Fernando

– a steadfast suppor ter of ar t, with

by Lamber to Pignotti. For those

Andolcetti in the anteroom leading

annual installations that have brought ar r iving and leaving, or simply

to the upper floor s of the hotel.

a sur ge of creativity to the hear t

visiting the Galler y, the exhibition

This ar tistic mix continues outside

of Florence , just a shor t walk from

opens with photogr aphs of a

as well, with the spectacular site-

the Ponte Vecchio – are home to

timeless Florence by Piergiorgio

specific installation by one of

30 wor ks by 21 Italian ar tists in

Branzi, the vibr ant pop icons of the

the most promising ar tists on

celebration of 30 years of creativity painting Con la moto by Umber to

the contempor ar y scene , Loris

at the Pecci: the pieces on display

Buscioni, the urban fr agments

Cecchini, made ad hoc for the

r ange from the Photorealism of the

recomposed by Guido Sar torelli,

façade of the Galler y: Waterbones

ear ly 1950s to the digital images

the wr itten-visual stir suggested

(Climbing), an ir idescent archi-

of the 2000s, along with pop icons,

in Stop by Rodolfo Vitone… The

sculpture 19 x 7 metres in size ,

inter sections of images and words,

analogy of networ king by Gisella

on display until December at the

reinter pretations of urban signs

Meo, the life-size music staffs

exclusive hotel in vicolo d’Oro.

57

Confidential

COLLECTION

R oo ms w i th a vi ew

Signature suites boasting a front-row view of the rooftops in Florence

P ortrait F irenze

58

Confidential

COLLECTION

F rom

left : spectacular and breathtaking views from the

P ortrait F irenze

F all

B runelleschi ’ s dome . E at breakfast across from P alazzo V ecchio . E njoy the sunset on a balcony over the P onte V ecchio and the shimmering A rno asleep gazing at

Fall asleep gazing at Br unelleschi’s

the wor ld (according to the 2018

the green hills of Fiesole and the

dome . Wake up admir ing the sun

Tr avel+Leisure r anking), just open

sur rounding area. The photos inside

shining on the facade of San Miniato.

the windows! Here is a list of the

the room are entirely dedicated to

Eat breakfast across from Palazzo

suites to request for tr uly amazing

Salvatore Fer r agamo, the prodigious

Vecchio. Look up at a medieval tower views.

shoemaker who welcomed the most

or take a bath with views over the

Ponte Vecchio Suite at PORTRAIT

glamorous star s of the 1950s to

Oltr ar no rooftops.

FIRENZE:

Florence: the beautiful archive photos

Though the most thr illing emotion is

One of the signature suites at

on display show him together with

perhaps sitting on a balcony over the

Por tr ait Firenze , boasting a front-

Audrey Hepbur n, in his wor kshop

Ponte Vecchio and the Ar no: enjoying

row view of the Ponte Vecchio and

and at Palazzo Feroni.

the sunset as you sip on a glass of bubbly in the war m sun, an exclusive exper ience .

The luxur y hotels in the Lungarno Collection, with its four magnificent str uctures in the hear t of the histor ic centre of Florence , recognize that the increasingly inter national and cosmopolitan jetsetter s want more than just gour met dinner s, per sonalized ser vices and super comfor table beds. For guests in search of ever more unique and authentic exper iences, who love to tr avel slowly as they soak up their stay in the most beloved ar t city in

H otel L ungarno

59

C ontinentale

Suite Schifano (Rooftop terrace) at HOTEL LUNGARNO: From the ter r ace , more than 40 square metres in size , guests can enjoy a 360° view of the city, r anging from the histor ic centre (with Br unelleschi’s dome and Palazzo Vecchio) and the Ar no nor th to south to the roofs of the Oltr ar no and the magnificent façade of Palazzo Pitti.

The suite conser ves some or iginal sketches (as well as an oil painting) by the renowned ar tist Luciano Schifano.

H otel L ungarno

of the few intact remaining in the city, r ight next to the Ponte Vecchio.

Penthouse Palazzo Vecchio

From its lar ge windows (more than

at GALLERY HOTEL ART

three metres tall), guests can enjoy

One of the most romantic suites at Galler y Hotel Ar t, with a beautiful ter r ace that looks out at Palazzo Vecchio and the dome of the cathedr al. Here , guests can or ganize pr ivate dinner s with dishes by the star red chef Peter Br unel for an

a unique view of the br idge…from above! On the other side of the suite , a pr ivate teak-floor ter r ace boasts an incredible panor ama of the histor ic centre . The view from this suite continues even into the bathroom:

the shower has a small window that unfor gettable evening under the star s! perfectly fr ames San Miniato, while Panoramic Consorti Suite from the freestanding bath, vaunting at CONTINENTALE: This suite is located at the top of the medieval Consor ti tower, one

a minimalist design, guests can enjoy a spectacular site of Br unelleschi’s dome .

P ortrait F irenze

60

G allery H otel A rt

61

food Peter Brunel at BSJ restaurant: Ability and Expertise Art of Mixology. The Bar Managers of The Fusion Bar, Picteau Lounge and La Terrazza tell us about their world

MAGICAL GLASSES

I tinerar y

COLLECTION

T he restaurant

design and atmosphere of the

B orgo S an J acopo recall the I talian charm of the 1950 s , inspired by the creativity

S alvatore F erragamo R ight page : a portrait the C hef P eter Baaaaa runel

of of

64

Food

COLLECTION

I nve n ti ve J our neys The creativity of Peter Brunel, culinary artist T ext V irginia M ammoli

Creative , ironic, practical, sometimes shy, except when you ask him to talk about his dishes: that’s when starred

A ll

the new features of the restaurant

B orgo S an

M ichelin - starred J acopo , including

chef Peter Brunel’s eyes light up and he

original menus and sculptured dishes

displays all his passion for the noble art

that enchant the eyes and the tastebuds

of cooking.

Trentino by bir th, his experiences in the mountains brought him to

personal style. “I like to compare

Ravello and then again to the nor th.

this culinar y experience to a theatre

Throughout his career, he has seen

production, during which we abandon

Garda, under taken apprenticeships in

our selves completely to what we are

France and returned to Trentino, before

watching on the stage . This is what

landing in Florence , where , in 2014, he

guests at Borgo San Jacopo do: they sit

became Executive Chef of the Lungarno down and abandon themselves to our Collection restaurants, Borgo San suggestions.”

Jacopo, The Fusion Bar & Restaurant

Having inherited the most classic

and Caffè dell’Oro. Three distinct

dishes offered at the Picteau Lounge,

entities united under the same mar k of

now open at both lunch and dinner,

quality. At The Fusion Bar & Restaurant,

chef Br unel has made this romantic

the highly select local ingredients

restaurant on the Arno even more his,

blend with typical ingredients found

with sculpted dishes that fir st amaze

in Japanese and Per uvian food, while

the eyes, then the palate . “My goal is

at the Caffè dell’Oro, the focus is

to get a smile out of the guests, see strongly regional. But it is at the starred their eyes fly open wide when one of restaurant Borgo San Jacopo that Peter my dishes arrives at the table , then Br unel offer s dishes that embody his

reassure them with my flavour s and

65

66

A rt in a dish at B orgo S an J acopo , an expression of creativity by the chef

P eter B runel L oretta

and the pastry chef

F anella

67

move something within them.” It is a

the Spuma.

journey into Italian and Tuscan haute

The newest addition is the Experience

cuisine paired with a beloved wine ,

menu: “Our guests will ‘experience’ my

chosen from over 1,000 labels listed on

most creative line ,” the chef promises.

the menu that was carefully composed

And then there’s the desser t menu,

by the exper t sommelier Salvatore

with four desser ts by the famous pastr y

Biscotti.

chef Loretta Fanella and four by Br unel.

Alongside two celebrated tasting

The restaurant’s style has not changed.

menus, La mia Toscana (My Tuscany)

The design and atmosphere recall the

and Ortaggi (Vegetables), the new

Italian charm of the 1950s, inspired by

Experience has made its debut. Even

the charm and creativity of Salvatore

if, Peter Brunel specifies, “La mia

Ferragamo. The walls are decorated

Toscana has undergone a restyling

with fashion sketches and photographs,

since 2017. Now the menu offer s new

as well as por traits of the major figures

interpretations of this territor y that

of the day, while a large glass window

has been my home for four year s now.

looks out over the beauty of the Arno

Star ting with a great classic, beef tartar, and Florence , also visible from the new

F rom

the famous and beloved menu

the Pici blend with a wild boar broth,

loft space. A tr ue delight is dining on

and Pigeon, a typical dish in Tuscan

the small terrace , with candle lights

cuisine , grilled and br ushed with a layer

reflecting on the river’s water s.

of pure gold.”

The extraordinar y setting where Spoon

Even the Ortaggi menu has changed,

was brought to life , the kermesse of

‘L a M ia T oscana ’ now offering a more complete to the new creations on the

‘E xperience ’

menu ,

a culinary journey that enchants both the eyes and palate

starred dinner s that has brought more

over view of the vegetable families

than 70 Michelin star s to Borgo San

(bulb, flower, stalk, root, tuber), though

Jacopo and which this year and in

without abandoning some of the best

future editions promises to be even

seller s, like the potato spaghetti and

more brilliant.

68

69

T hr e e s t yl es of Mi xo lo gy The Bar Managers Marco Vezzosi, Fausto Pietropaoli and Diego Rampietti tell us about their world T ext V irginia M ammoli

70

71

E legance ,

tradition

and innovative O utside techniques the U ffizi at P icteau L ounge , allery L ungarnoG H otel

72

Cocktail

COLLECTION

F rom

left :

D iego R ampietti (L a T errazza ), M arco V ezzosi (T he F usion B ar ) F austo P ietropaoli (P icteau ),

The wor ld of cocktails is in constant

T he I talian

evolution. It’s an ar t that recalls the wor k of tr aditional alchemists, and requires perception, taste and a bit of madness. The bar manager s at three cult happy hour locations in

terrace of

P ictecu L ounge

art of the ‘ aperitivo ’

and its international interpretations at three

F lorence : T he F usion B ar & R estaurant , P icteau L ounge and L a T errazza top places in

Florence are well-ver sed in this. Chic combinations, a lot of creativity and the desire to exper iment make these places sanctuar ies of new-school dr inks, set against the backdrop of the Italian ar t of fine dr inking. We

typical ingredients in Italian cuisine

Mar tini.

– like basil, thyme , rosemar y and

Your for te?

met with Marco Vezzosi of The Fusion peschiole (small unr ipe peaches), as Bar & Restaur ant (Galler y Hotel Ar t), well as r atafia and saffron produced

M.V.: The Fusion Negroni, our reinter pretation of the classic

in my home region, Abr uzzo – and

Negroni, a Florentine dr ink that’s

innovative techniques.

always sure to impress: we begin

Diego Rampietti: with us, the key

with Gin London Dr y, Bombay Dr y

word is Relax. We offer a selection

specifically. Instead of Bitter Campar i,

of dr inks that reflects the theme of

we add Cynar ; and for the ver mouth,

the Dolce Vita, with top-quality Italian

we use our Exotic Ver mouth and a

Continentale), atop the Medieval

(and a few French) liqueur s.

drop of Angostur a bitter. The dr ink

Tor re dei Consor ti. All three are just

One’s first cocktail is unforgettable.

is ser ved in a glass case filled with

a stone’s throw away from the Ponte

What was yours?

smoke .

M.V.: Gin and Tonic , a classic…

F.P.: the Boulevardier Affumicato,

F.P.: a mojito, in London ten year s

or Smoked, a kind of old fashioned

What is the philosophy behind your

ago.

var iation of the Negor ni, with

cocktails?

D.R.: a Bahama Mama, one of those

Amer ican whiskey instead of gin –

Marco Vezzosi: just like with the

dr inks that you only get a request

Maker’s Mar k Bourbon – and a touch

for once in your career, but someone

of r atafia, a cher r y liqueur from

ordered it on my fir st day of wor k!

Abr uzzo. The concoction is ser ved in

Though what really makes me

a glass flask on a wooden board.

enthusiastic about this wor k is a

D.R.: Depero#3, par t of the ser ies

where an inter national air per vades the environs, from Japan to Per u, Fausto Pietropaoli of Picteau Lounge (Hotel Lungar no), over looking the Ar no, and Diego Rampietti, manager of the rooftop bar La Ter r azza (Hotel

Vecchio and each possess their own style .

restaur ant, the philosophy is to have a fusion of styles.

Fausto Pietropaoli: new inter pretations of great classics using

73

A t L a T errazza

the key - word is : relax

dedicated to Campar i that I created

dr ied in a tea bag.

Or lando won the Ner i Marcoré

and developed over the year s. A

D.R.: for happy hour, we recommend

Award at the most recent Florence

Campar i Sour with a liqueur base and

great classics like cocktails with a

Cocktail Week and fir st place in the

fresh lemon juice , sugar syr up and

base of chinato Campar i, Bitter, Cynar wor ldwide competition Disaronno

infusions of typical local products,

and Ver mouth, an after-dinner dr ink

2017.

like fennel, sage , thyme and rosemar y. for ever y spir it.

F.P.: we reopened Picteau in June…

Though in reality, I love to suggest

Mixolog y, flair or barman? What’s

give us time and we won’t let you

a Bloody Mar ianna, an Italianized

your style?

down!

ver sion of the classic Bloody Mar y:

M.V.: All three . It depends on the

D.R.: This year, I’m tr aining my young

jalapeno-infused vodka blended

situation, the client and what you’re

talents so they can par ticipate in

with our own base mixture made of

creating.

var ious competitions.

Wasabi powder, mustard, hor ser adish

F.P.: I’m more into mixology.

Answer with a cocktail: Florence

sauce , smoked hints of Pigmenton, a

D.R.: Execution style isn’t as

is…?

dash of pepper, soy sauce , Worcester

impor tant as the kind of exper ience

M.V.: a dr ink of the future , because it

sauce and red wine .

you offer for the client.

hasn’t been invented yet.

An iconic drink on your menu?

Out of all your international

F.P.: Negroni, an extr aordinar y

M.V.: classics with Mexican base

recognitions, what was the best

cocktail invented r ight here .

products, like the Mezcal Mar ghar ita,

experience?

D.R.: it’s difficult to say, it’s a complex

Welcome to Javisco or Mar tinis,

M.V.: at Fusion, we can count on

city. Perhaps Marco is r ight: a cocktail

especially the Herbal Mar tini.

fresh talent behind the bar : among

that tr uly char acter izes the city has

F.P.: our selection of Negroni with

the numerous recognitions, Rober t

yet to be invented.

sage or coffee infusions, or the Ear l

Pavel was r anked #1 dur ing the

Who knows, maybe a “Florence” will

Grey Negroni, ser ved in a tea cup

prestigious Havana Cocktail Gr an

soon be invented in one of these

with the Campar i dehydr ated and

Pr ix in 2016, while Michel Gr anpasso

exclusive lounge bar s.

74

F usion

of styles

and an international air , from pervades

J apan to P eru T he F usion B ar

& R estaurant

75

tips What’s your preference?

Are you the Hotel Lungarno or the Continentale type?

Are you more attracted to the Gallery Hotel Art or the Portrait?

What’s your style? Are you the classic, cool or creative kind?

Does style rank high among your priorities? Do you travel with family or are you a confirmed single?

Take our personality test and find out.

Choose the things to do and places to see in Rome and Florence according to your profile

MAGICAL GLASSES

Creative T ips

COLLECTION

GALLERY HOTEL ART by

Concierge Daniela Bruni

WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: • A Guest Relations team create bespoke and unusual exper iences for our clients • Set in a quiet cour tyard near the Ar no and Ponte Vecchio and close to Palazzo Strozzi • Enjoy a few quite moments in the inviting lounge-libr ar y WORTH GETTING OUT OF BED FOR: • You may exper ience ar t and photogr aphy ver nissages.

• The exhibits at the Galler y Hotel Ar t offer a window into a contempor ar y wor ld, captured through the prospective of great contempor ar y ar tists or the objective lens of great photogr apher s • Indulge in culinar y Easter n delights at the Fusion Bar & Restaur ant

78

•BREAKFAST

Momio Via Pisana 9c , Firenze An inter national cor ner in Florence , you can enjoy a really good br unch at this nice café/restaur ant: Eggs Florentine , homemade English muffins and pizza fr itta with mor tadella are just a few of the dishes you can find on the menu here

A ria A rt G allery

M omio

•ART & DESIGN

•EAT

Buca Lapi Via del Trebbio 1r, Firenze Only open for dinner, you can enjoy an excellent Florentine steak and typical Tuscan food at this awesome place

Aria Art Galler y Borgo SS . Apostoli 40r, Firenze Nestled in a 16th-centur y garden, this galler y recently opened a br anch in London. They or ganize ar t exhibitions, events and live perfor mances

M omio

•EXPERIENCE

Società Canottieri Firenze Lungarno Anna Maria De’ Medici 8, Firenze Founded in 1886, this is an institution in Florence . Located on the banks of the Ar no, a shor t walk from the Ponte Vecchio, the club has a bar and a restaur ant where guests can eat lunch (dinner available only upon reser vation).

Pr ivate lessons are also available , allowing guests the chance to be a rower for a day and see Florence from another per spective

B uca L api

S ocietà C anottieri F irenze

•MARKETS

Santo Spirito craft market Piazza Santo Spirito, Firenze Ever y second Sunday of the month, except July and August, the piazza comes to life with stalls manned by local and foreign ar tisans

S anto S pirito

S an M iniato

craft market

al

•SCENERY

•BOOKSTORE

San Miniato al Monte Via delle Por te Sante 34, Firenze Simply a must-see . Full stop. One of the most beautiful Italian basilicas, this church over looking one of the most beautiful cities in the wor ld is celebr ating its 1,000th anniver sar y this year. Breath-taking 360° views

La Feltrinelli RED Piazza della Repubblica, Firenze Situated in the hear t of the city, this is the perfect place to stop for a coffee and browse for the r ight book

L a F eltrinelli RED

•SHOPPING

Boutique Nadine Via de’ Benci 32r, Firenze One of the most interesting and mustsee boutiques in the city; a concept store with a shabby style , you can find clothing by young stylists and jeweller y; in the vintage cor ner, there are pieces

by Florentine and Italian designer s.

Fur niture is also on sale

B outique N adine

M onte

L a M enagère

•MUSIC

•DRINK

Gilo Piano Bar Via Dei Fossi 44r, Firenze A dive into 1960s Italy; live music star ting at 9.30pm, when the piano begins to play away, r anging from jazz to swing; enjoy small snacks and excellent dr inks as you listen to the tunes

Wood Music Garden Lungarno Colombo 23-27, Firenze Situated on the Ar no River, outdoor s and open dur ing the summer, this is the perfect place to enjoy good dr inks, a DJ set and live music

W ood M usic G arden

•FUN

Fattoria di Maiano Via Benedetto da Maiano 11, Fiesole With its 270 hectares, this far m offer s the oppor tunity to discover the tr adition of extr a-vir gin olive oil thanks to a tour through the olive groves and a fantastic tasting in the pressing mill.

Another itiner ar y is the Safar i Tour : on board an off-road vehicle , guests are brought on an exhilar ating tour of the wilder areas of the far m. This itiner ar y is also offered at night, for a chance to see wild animals that don’t nor mally come out dur ing the day G ilo P iano B ar

F attoria

di

M aiano

•NIGHTLIFE

•JAZZ

Flo Lounge Bar Piazzale Michelangelo 84, Firenze Outdoor s, with a breath-taking view of Florence , it’s only open dur ing the summer and is perfect for a night out on the dance floor

La Menagère Via de’ Ginor i 8, Firenze A trendy and multi-faceted locale: a concept store , restaur ant, cocktail bar and, in the basement, live jazz music

F lo L ounge B ar

Hip T ips

COLLECTION

HOTEL CONTINENTALE by

Concierge Francesca Bruschi

WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: • Stunning location next to the Ponte Vecchio • A vibr ant and romantic design evolved in the ener gy of the 50’s.

• The White Ir is Beauty Spa WITH selection of treatments and massages created exclusively by [comfor t zone].

WORTH GETTING OUT OF BED FOR: • La Ter r azza rooftop bar on top of the Consor ti tower, to discover a most stunning view over the city.

• The gour met restaur ant Bor go San Jacopo (1 Michelin Star) directed by Executive Chef Peter Br unel, • Histor ic Renaioli Boat Exper ience on the Ar no River combined with an aper itif at sunset

82

•BREAKFAST

Floret Via Roma 19/21, Firenze The ter r ace at the Luisa Via Roma showroom. The space has a ver y Amer ican, Califor nian and ethnic style , both in the setting and in the plates and their composition. There is a wide choice in dishes of fish, meat, eggs and cheese , as well as more unique dishes, like the now-famous “avocado toast” and options with hummus

C asini F irenze B y J ennifer T attanelli

F loret

•SHOPPING

•EAT

Casini Firenze By Jennifer Tattanelli Piazza dei Pitti 30/31r, Firenze Designer specialized in leather products, shoes, bags and coats, as well as many other hand-cr afted pieces. Items can be tailor-made and shipped directly to your home

5 e Cinque Piazza della Passera 1, Firenze In the hear t of the Oltr ar no, an or ganic vegetar ian restaur ant, where the precision, fr ugality and lightness of Ligur ian tr adition are balanced with the simplicity and quality typical of Tuscany

5

e

C inque

•MARKETS

Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio Piazza Ghiber ti, Firenze Open ever y day from 7am to 2pm, an authentic Florentine mar ket located inside a histor ic building built in 1873.

It’s a temple of typically Tuscan food products, many of which are locallyproduced. Outside , visitor s can find stands with books, haberdasher y and vintage clothing, like scar ves, stoles, shoes and bags

M ercato

di

S ant ’A mbrogio

M ercato

di

S ant ’A mbrogio

•CRAFT

Antico setificio Fiorentino Via Bar tolini 4, Firenze Founded in 1786, the Antico Setificio Fiorentino continues the her itage of this histor ic tr adition, tr ansfor ming it into wor ld-renown excellence . The institution was founded thanks to the effor ts of a lar ge group of noble , Florentine families, like the Gher ardesca, Bar tolozzi, Pucci and Cor sini.

Amongst the wonder s to be found here , an 18th-centur y war ping mill deser ves a special mention, based on a dr awing

by Leonardo da Vinci. This perfectly functioning tool is still used to today for creating silk master pieces A ntico S etificio F iorentino

A ntico S etificio F iorentino

•BEAUTY & HEALTH

•BOOK STORE Libreria Brac Via dei Vagellai, 18/r, Firenze A contempor ar y ar t bookstore with an inter ior cour tyard and piano that doubles as a vegetar ian and vegan restaur ant. The space hosts book presentations, installations, talks with author s and much more

Ciro Via delle Terme Via delle Terme 8, Firenze A team of hair stylists oper ating in a histor ic palace in the hear t of Florence offer their professional skills for women and men’s styles, as well as special wellbeing treatments for both hair and body

L ibreria B rac

•ART

Palazzo Strozzi Piazza degli Strozzi, Firenze From September 21, 2018 to Januar y 20, 2019, Palazzo Strozzi is hosting a major exhibition dedicated to Mar ina Abr amović, one of the most renowned and controver sial figures in contempor ar y ar t, who has revolutionized the idea of perfor mance ar t, putting her own body, its limits and her wherewithal of expression to the test P alazzo S trozzi

Marina Abramović

•FUN

Break de Chasse Carriage-r ide through the city with Giacomo Goldkorn www.toscanaincarrozza.com A histor ic hunting car r iage , not to be confused with the var iety used by hor se-dr iven coach dr iver s, pulled by two white Percheron hor ses, perhaps the most famous breed in the wor ld for this kind of wor k, with a coach dr iver out of the ordinar y: an exuniver sity professor who invented a new way of tackling job insecur ity. A top-class ser vice aimed pr imar ily at high-end hotels, and available only upon reser vation

•EXPERIENCES River tour on the Arno with the Renaioli www.renaioli.it See Florence from another per spective on board a histor ic , restored boat. The 45-minute tour is better if taken with a guide and at sunset, offer ing an even more romantic atmosphere

B reak

de

C hasse

•OPERA

T eatro del M aggio M usicale F iorentino

Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Via Vittorio Gui 1, Firenze Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is to Florence what the Teatro alla Scala is to Milan. In its moder n and avant-garde theatre close to Stazione Leopolda, the event boasts an extr aordinar y oper a season from October to Apr il and, beginning in late June , the oldest oper a festival in Italy. This year, you can’t miss La traviata by Verdi, an incredible staging

by Fr ancesco Micheli, from November 29 to December 9, and West Side Stor y

by Ber nstein, on stage from December 13 to 22, 2018 R iver

•JAZZ

Pinocchio Jazz Circolo Vie Nuove , 1° Piano, Viale Giannotti 13, Firenze Ever y Saturday evening, from November to March, this histor ic event attended by many a jazz enthusiast plays host to some of the top Italian and inter national bands.

Infor mal, welcoming, not tour isty.

NOF Borgo San Frediano 17r Firenze Is a bespoke music venue in hear t of Oltr ar no area, where beer and cocktails are ser ved. Non perdetevi ogni lunedì ser a la Monday jazz night

tour on the

A rno

•CLASSIC MUSIC

St. Mark’s Anglican Church Via Maggio 16, Firenze The church, par t of histor ic Medici palace that once belonged to Machiavelli, is used today for classical music concer ts and perfor mances of the top Italian oper as

S t . M ark ’ s A nglican C hurch

Classic T ips

COLLECTION

HOTEL LUNGARNO by

Concierge Andrea Spagnuolo

WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: • Thir tyfour rooms with Ponte Vecchio view.

• The Picteau Lounge , the perfect place for after noon-tea, as well as aper itivo or after-dinner dr inks.

• A 20th Centur y ar t collection with more than 400 pieces of moder n ar t including Picasso, Cocteau and many Italian ar tists.

WORTH GETTING OUT OF BED FOR: • All-day-dining at the Italian bistro Caffè dell’Oro (next to the Ponte Vecchio) directed by our Michelin star red chef Peter Br unel.

• New “Ar t Itiner ar ies” as well as ar t classes on a regular basis will be offered to guests: • Shopping pr ivileges at Salvatore Fer r agamo Store on Via Tor nabuoni.

78

•BREAKFAST

Caffè del Cibreo Via Andrea del Verrocchio, 5r Florence It’s the small cafe-bistro of the famous Ristor ante Il Cibreo, directed by the ver satile Chef Picchi. The sophisticated cuisine and all the products of the ter r itor y join the casual elegance of the ser vice and the red velvet chair s with a theatr ical taste . Not to be missed if you want to breathe fashion and comedy in the city

C affè

del

C ibreo

S tudio D imore D esign

•EAT & DRINK

•ART & DESIGN

Santa Rosa Bistrot Lungarno Santa Rosa, Firenze It’s a new bistrot in Florence with a nice patio in the garden where is possible to have lunch, good aper itif, and dinner. Ver y famous on Sunday for lunch

Studio Dimore Design Via de Fossi 41, Firenze Cool inter ior s design between the past and the future with good selection of vintage fur niture

S anta R osa B istrot

•SHOPPING

Guya Via Calimala 29r, Firenze Amazing shop in the city center of Florence with a par ticular Italian and inter national br ands

G uya

G uya

•THEATRE

Teatro Niccolini Via Ricasoli 3, Firenze This is the oldest theater in Florence .

The theater was closed for 20 year s and just re-opened last year

T eatro N iccolini

T eatro N iccolini

•VINTAGE

•BEAUTY & HEALTH

Atelier Michele Chiocciolini Via del Fico 3r, Firenze The fabulous wor ld of the talented designer Michele Chiocciolini summar ized in a wor kshop hidden behind the church of Santa Croce . It’s a concept store where you can find unique clothes and ver y r are vintage home fur nishing

Soulspace Firenze Via di Sant’ Egidio 12, Firenze Florence spa & wellness located close to the cathedr al, it offer s an exclusive sensor ial exper ience , beauty r ituals and massages

A telier M ichele C hiocciolini

•BOOKSTORE Todomodo Via de Fossi 32 It ‘s a new concept libr ar y with a good selection of books with a nice bar inside to dr ink a good wine too

T odomodo

S oulspace F irenze

•SCENERY

•EXPERIENCE

Forte Belvedere Via Di san Leonardo 1, Firenze If You want to get out from the city center visit the for t. The for t offer s a great view of Florence in a quiet place with a nice garden

Altana Europe “ Fishing in Florence “ A pr ivate guide ser vice focused on the Florence Ar no r iver. They offer a fishing exper ience along the Ar no River

F orte B elvedere

•FUN

Giardino dell’Orticultura Via Vittorio Emanuele II 4, Firenze For a sunny day, this is a fabulous par k where relax and explore the hills area.

Different flower s and plants exhibitions in spr ing and summer season

G iardino

dell ’O rticultura

G iardino

dell ’O rticultura

•DINNER

Fulin Via Giampaolo Or sini 113r, Firenze Leave behind your stereotypical expectations of Chinese food and be tr anspor ted by the Fulin Luxur y Chinese Exper ience , in a blend of select design and dishes. At Fulin only Pechino provincial cuisine is ser ved, rewor ked in a gour met style , to be paired with studied Tuscan wines. Two young Chinese chefs wor k alongside an inter national br igade . Check out the attr active ter r ace for Easter ninfluenced aper itifs, food and cocktails

•NIGHTLIFE

Babylon Club Via de Pandolfini 23, Firenze Florentine Disco Club situated in the hear t of the city center, it offer s a dance floor with house and commercial music

F ulin

Ex traordinar y T ips

COLLECTION

PORTRAIT FIRENZE by

Concierge Caterina Pini

WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: • A breathtaking views onto the r iver Ar no and Florence .

• A spectacular rooftop suite and 273m2 Penthouse Floor.

• A pr ivate galler y of images of Hollywood star s and royalty snapped as you’ve never seen them before .

WORTH GETTING OUT OF BED FOR: • Una visita alla scoper ta del Museo del Bar gello con i vostr i bambini • Un viaggio nella Street Photogr aphy affiancati da un fotogr afo di fama inter nazionale , esper to nell’utilizzo di Leica • An exclusive shopping conditions at Salvatore Fer r agamo boutiques in Florence

94

•BREAKFAST Pasticceria Marino Piazza Nazario Sauro n 19r, Firenze Probably it is not the most beautiful coffee shop, but it has the best pastr ies and coffees

I G uarnieri

P asticceria M arino

•ART & DESIGN

•EAT & DRINK

I Guarnieri Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini 39, Firenze Ccontempor ar y ar t galler y ,Fresco painting Flair Lungarno Cor sini 24r, Firenze home décor, inter nal design, fur niture store

A Crudo Via Mazzerra 5a, Firenze Tuscan crostini, cured meats and cheeses and nice salad. Perfect light lunch in the Oltr ar no

F lair

•APERITIF

LOC ALE Via delle Seggiole , 12r, Firenze The hottest new spot in via delle seggiole . Cocktail connoisseur s dream!

L ocale

F lair

•BOOKSTORE

Paperback Exchange Via delle Oche 4r, Firenze Br ing the book you just finished and tr ade it for a “new” one

T he M edici D ynasty S how

P aperback E xchange

•NIGHTLIFE

•THEATRE

Volume Piazza Santo Spir ito, Firenze Or iginally a wor kshop of Florentine wood sculpture , now a café and bar where the hip locals hang out

The Medici Dynasty Show Via Faenza 48, Firenze The coolest medici dynasty show on planet hear t!

T he M edici D ynasty S how

•FUN

Teatro del Sale Via de’ Macci 8, Firenze Food is ser ved buffet style , screamed from the kitchen as dishes are brought out as soon as the chefs can cook them. Romantic? Probably not, but it is the most definitely fun and Florentine , moreover check out what dinner show they host ever y week…if you attend the MARIA C ASSI show, you will laugh a lots!

T eatro

del

S ale

V olume

•BEAUTY & HEALTH

•SCENERY

Caffè del Verone (Istituto degli Innocenti ) In the past was used by nannies to walk with children and today is a mar velous cafeter ia with a breathtaking view

White Iris Beauty Spa Hotel Continentale Vicolo dell’Oro 6r, Firenze A wide selection of treatments and massages to choose from, created exclusively by [ comfor t zone ] phone: +39 055 2726 5966

W hite I ris B eauty S pa

•EXPERIENCE Cozzi (rilegatore di Libri) Via del Parione Marble paper wor kshop….unique exper ience….magnifiche

C ozzi

A rezzo

antique market

•OUTSIDE

•CRAFT

Arezzo antique market Ever y fir st weekend of the month, in Arezzo, Piazza San Fr ancesco and Piazza Great, a big flea mar ket. It’s funnyrotate between the desks of over one hundred exhibitor s come from all over Italy and many European countr ies. You can find ever ything from old lace to old bag, from phone bakelite to the ‘800 centur y Tuscan fur niture

Loretta Caponi Piazza Antinori 4, Florence Ladylike linger ie , bedding, table linen.

I love their baby dolls. Between customer s Madonna, Nicole Kidman and crowned heads of all over the wor ld

L oretta C aponi

Stylish T ips

COLLECTION

PORTRAIT ROMA by

Co by Concierge Francesca

WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: • Stunning location next to the Spanish Steps • Only 14 suites and a spectacular rooftop ter r ace .

• A lifestyle team at your complete disposal that creates bespoke and unusual exper iences for our clients such as a two-hour adventure in a stylish golf car t

WORTH GETTING OUT OF BED FOR: • Breakfast with a stunning view • Wellness: jogging tr ails and bike routes • Pr ivate museum tour s and cooking classes • Per sonalized assistance from the reception for the or ganization of your stay in Rome

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•BREAKFAST

R imessa R oscioli

Pasticceria Bompiani Via Benedetto Bompiani 8, Roma Absolutely my favor ite place in Rome , where I order all my bir thday cakes!

When visiting the Ancient Appian way or the catacombs area, this place is a must, but in any case it wor th the visit! Croissants, minicakes, chocolates, cookies: you will desire to eat them all!

Le Levain Via Luigi Santini 22, Roma Located in the hear t of the beautiful Tr astevere distr ict, this place makes the best croissants from the French tr adition! If you are passing by in the late mor ning, be sure to taste also their savor y delicacies!

P asticceria B ompiani

•SHOPPING

•EAT & DRINK

Ripetta Design Via di Ripetta 152, Roma An unconventional fur niture and design shop, a chic taste that won’t cer tainly go unnoticed Mercato Monti Via Leonina 46, Roma Urban Mar ket where vintage and unique pieces live next new gener ations and talents of the new Made in Italy panor ama. Only in the weekends

Rimessa Roscioli Via del Conser vator io 58, Roma The new temple of wine and gastronomy. Their tastings will let you tr y producer s considered legends and your glass will be accompanied by the best products ever. Be sure to tr y their caponata, goat cheese and cacio e pepe!

R ipetta D esign

•STREET FOOD

Supplizio Via dei Banchi Vecchi 143, Roma Here the typical suppli is a must. It is a r ice ball with tomato sauce and str ingy mozzarella, but even more gour met dishes will take your attention!

S upplizio

M ercato M onti

•BEAUTY & HEALTH

Luxur y gym Margutta Via Margutta 54, Roma A small but super professional gym, where Giancar lo gives the highest ser vice for a super satisfying wor kout session Massimo Serini Via Borgognona 2, Roma The hairdresser of the star s, in a beautiful salon at the fir st floor of a classy apar tment a few meter s from the Spanish Steps. Susan Sar andon, Clotilde Cour au, Poppy Delevingne are just a few names he follows J erry T homas

L uxury

•NIGHTLIFE

gym

M argutta

•OPERA

Jerr y Thomas Vicolo Cellini 30, Roma Speakeasy bar at the top 5 bar s in the WORLD, makes the best cocktails with r um coming directly from Cuba. They’re the kings of mixology Borgo Ripa Lungotevere Ripa 3, Roma The atmosphere in the garden makes Bor go Ripa perfect for a cocktail in the summer nights in Rome . Lots of Romans love spending time here from the aper itif time until late night

Galleria Doria Pamphilj Via del Cor so 305, Roma One of the most impressing pr ivate palaces in Rome , it hosts beautiful master pieces of Baroque and Neoclassical per iod. Once a week, it hosts an oper a concer t by Omnia quar tet. Visit to the pr ivate apar tments of the pr incess are included in the exper ience

G alleria D oria P amphilj

•JAZZ

Gregor y Jazz club Via Gregoriana 54, Roma Whisky bar at the top of the Spanish Steps, it hosts the best Italian and Inter national jazz ar tists. exper ience

G regory J azz

club

M onti

neighbourhood

•FUN

•SCENERY

Luneur Park Via delle Tre Fontane 100, Roma This theme par k has been for Romans an institution. After many year s of closing, has now re-opened with new char acter s and lots of fun for adults and children! In summer they or ganize many events, such as the Light Par ty or the Bubble dance Golf car tour One of the best activities to do when in Rome . It allows to see the nar row alleys or reach the hills of Aventino and Gianicolo, maybe stopping by the best street food places

Fontana dell’Acqua Paola Via Garibaldi, Roma The opening scene of the Oscar movie “The Great Beauty”, on the top of Janiculum Hill. The view is amazing and the beauty of the Fountain is magical Or to Botanico Largo Cristina di Svezia 24, Roma From the Japanese Garden (highest point), the view of the city center is sur rounded by the nature . When the cher r y trees are flowered, the scener y is even more suggestive

F ontana

dell ’A cqua

P aola

•EXPERIENCE

Forum of Caesar Foro Traiano (Trajan column) One of the most beautiful exper iences that you can enjoy in contact with the beauty of ancient Rome . A walk through the r uins at night of the Caesar For um with a vir tual show and lights projected.

Domus Aurea Via della Domus Aurea 1, Roma Wear ing an helmet, you will discover the archeological site of the ancient house of Nero Emperor, now open to public . Will be fun the vir tual 3D jour ney at the end of the visit D omus A urea

F orum

of

C aesar

•DINNER

•DISTRICT

Zuma Rome Via della Fontanella di Borghese 48 Revolutionar y and glamourous Japanese restaur ant, in the spectacular setting of Palazzo Fendi Antica Pesa Via Garibaldi 18, Roma A Tr astevere oster ia since 1922

Monti neighbourhood, Rome Getting lost in the nar row streets of the Fir st Distr ict of Rome not only means having direct contact with ancient histor y, but also discover ing vintage shops, antique shops, designer boutiques and a number of ar tisan wor kshops

Z uma

Stylish T ips

COLLECTION

Who’s w ho

Let us introduce our concierges, who in this issue of Collection reveal their favourite places in Florence and Rome. Bars, bakeries, shops, museums, restaurants, experiences and clubs that they’ve gotten to know first-hand, and which they invite you to check out…

Daniela Bruni, Concierge

free time with the people closest to

GALLERY HOTEL ART

me , having a good time and enjoying

“I love spor ts, especially football.

their company.”

I adore the countr yside , where I grew up. I love to explore small

Caterina Pini, Concierge

villages and discover little family-

PORTRAIT FIRENZE

r un businesses where our oldest

“In my free time , I love to cook, paint

tr aditions are still thr iving.”

and recycle objects, not to mention tr avel. I’ve recently taken to r unning,

Francesca Bruschi, Concierge

and I love to read ever ything I can

HOTEL CONTINENTALE

about psychology and sociology

“I love ar t, culture and open-air

because I think that people’s minds

itiner ar ies, and I’m always looking

are complex machines and the most

for new locations to recommend to

difficult to under stand.”

our guests so they can exper ience authentic Tuscany, far from the

Francesca Mortale, Concierge

tour ist circuits, just like tr ue

PORTRAIT ROMA

Tuscans!”

“I’m Roman and I’m in love with the city. I love looking for new places

Andrea Spagnuolo, Concierge

to discover and share with fr iends

HOTEL LUNGARNO

and guests. I love food, enjoying new

“I adore ar t, fashion and tr avel. I love culinar y exper iences and taking lots the theatre , music and spending my

of photos of what I eat!”

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