CONVENTS and monasteries around the world have been converted into museums, tourist attractions and hotels but rarely with such fidelity to the mindful spirit of the original building as the reopened Villa San Michelle, a Belmond Hotel, Florence.
The building’s history has been at the forefront of the design work, with specially commissioned work from highly talented artists: crafted scagliola furniture by Bianco Bianchi; hand-painted murals by Francesca Guicciardini; tapestries by Elena Carozzi; and other contemporary painters and printmakers have contributed to the artistic endeavour.
The hotel’s 27 suites, some in the original convent and others set within the stunning gardens, as well as the twelve individual bedrooms constitute serene retreats, soul-calming vistas and an artful fusion of the ancient and the modern.
Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence; from above | Photographed by Letizia Cigliutti
The Botanica Signature Suite | Photographer Adrian Gaut
A glimpse of Bar Doccia’s new lounge area at Villa San Michelle | Photographed by Adrian Gaut
The terraced gardens, once tended by members of the Franciscan convent, feature secluded, rose-lined walkways perfumed with the scents of iris, citrus, lavender and rosemary. Hidden nooks around the gardens proffer spots for mindfulness and, in the Villa’s own woodland, spaces have been curated for relaxing introspection.
Once a place of worship, the Energy Chapel has a light and sound experience designed to inculcate inner peace; the Sungazing Lounge offers a place for contemplating sunsets; the Yoga Deck’s changing programmes guide guests in ways of experiencing mental and bodily repose. For the enthusiastic walker, newly laid paths lead into the surrounding woods of Parco di Monte Ceceri.
A reimagined closier of the centuries-old convent | Photographed by Adrian Gaut
Energy Chapel at Villa San Michele | Photographed by Cristina Troisi
Antesi, an intimate, fine dining restaurant, is new to the hotel and set in the Michelangelo-inspired loggia of the main building. Its three tasting menus focus on locally sourced ingredients, picked at their peak moments for ripeness. Ristorante San Michele serves refined classic Italian dishes while pool-side San Michele Grill is ideal for informal, laid-back dining.
Villa San Michele Spa by Guerlain | Photographed by Adrian Gaut
The sense of withdrawal and peace once experienced by members of the Franciscan order finds secular expression in the Villa San Michele Spa by Guerlain. Its entrance is filled with glorious frescoes of a flower garden – painted for the reopening by Elena Carozzi – and the view from the gym, as elsewhere in the hotel, gives some idea of why, centuries ago, a Tuscan sanctuary for reflection and wellbeing was established high in the wooded Fiesole hills above the ancient city of Florence.
by Sean Sheehan