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The apartment is located in the heart of Renaissance Florence on Via Ghibellina, between Borgo Allegri and Via Dei Macci; about two blocks away from Michelangelo's house, five minutes walk to Santa Croce, 15 minutes walk to the Duomo or Piazza della Signoria. This neighborhood was featured in the May '05 issue of Bon Appetit.
The main part of this building was registered in the 'Comune' as a convent in the 12th century and renovations and additions have been made throughout the centuries. It is probably part of the surge of the Dominican and Franciscan convents, monasteries, and churches that took over the Santa Croce area in the 12th century.
The apartment is on the third floor (no elevator), going up a wide staircase made of pietra serena, a local Florentine stone, with a hand wrought iron railing. The stairs are low and manageable with a large landing at each level.
The architect who restored this apartment cleaned through several layers of paint and grime to reveal the original ceiling frescoes in the living room and applied paints to the rest of the house accordingly. Faux finishes on the walls complement the Florentine colors of the frescoes on the airy, high ceilings of the living room.
The apartment has beautiful parquet floors. There is a hand-painted, built-in in the corner of the living room with its matching console. An ancient hand-carved marble sink found in the building serves as a sink in the kitchen striking a distinct contrast to the gleaming white Carrara marble countertop. Some ceiling light fixtures feature Venetian Murano glass or other locally blown glass.
The bedroom lamps were custom-made by local Florentine artisans in the Renaissance tradition. The antique doors to every room are restored and curiously stand on their hinges in the manner of many doors of 'old' buildings in the area such as Cibreo's (a nearby restaurant), for example. The apartment is decorated with a few antique pieces.
The bedrooms are spacious and sunlit with suite bathrooms. The master bathroom has a bathtub with towel warmer. Both bathrooms have bidets and there is a powder room as well.
The heavy walnut dining room table can easily seat six persons. There are table linens, placemats, and table protectors for it.
In the kitchen you will find everything you need to create a gourmet meal, (including all the basic staples), if that is what you like to do. There are even cookbooks in case you really want to experiment with some of the great ingredients you will find in the Sant'Ambrogio market just around the corner from the house.
The neighborhood is colorful, full of great restaurants such as the famous Cibreo, as well as a produce, dairy and meat market,(Sant'Ambrogio) and antique and artisan shops. It is minutes away from everything. After you're done sightseeing, arrange dinner reservations at Enoteca Pinchiorri, said to be one of the top 10 restaurants in the world, on the same street as the apartment, 5 minutes away.
Finally, walk 'home' to a hot bath to rest your tired feet and slip into the bathrobes provided before sliding into crisp pressed linens for the night. |
