Antica Torre Di Via Tornabuoni Florence

Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1 is a medieval tower from 1200, transformed into an exclusive historical mansion where guests are involved in luxury and Renaissance art everywhere and where they can enjoy a fascinating scenario, with the best view of Florence from its terrace.

Its delightful restaturant “The Tower” and the best location of the city, in Via Tornabuoni, which collects the best luxury brands, such as Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, Tiffany, Montblanc, Giorgio Armani, Dior, among others.

Just a few steps of Ponte Santa Trinita, Ponte Vecchio, Duomo and the train station Santa Maria Novella, Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni is certainly one of the best places to stay in Florence.

THE HISTORY
The tower-house called “Antica Torre Tornabuoni ” stands at the beginning of the iconic street via de’ Tornabuoni, a few steps away from Santa Trinita Bridge. It was built in the mid-thirteenth century by the Guelf Ruggerini family and was later sold to the Fastellis or Pietrobonos.

From the early 1300s until the end of the 1700s it was the Gianfigliazzi residence, whose name dates back to a certain Giovanni, son of Galeazzo, called “Gian son of Azzo”.

It belonged for a long time to the Gianfigliazzi family, which in this area had extensive properties, “and until 1770 it was destined for the public conversation of the noble class”, hence the name by which it is still known today (casino of the Nobles).

The Gianfigliazzi were a Guelph family of bankers and traders who did not hold public offices until the Battle of Benevento (1266), when the opponent Ghibelline faction lost supremacy over the city and was almost definitively defeated in the whole Italian panorama. In fact, throughout Italy the Ghibellines were driven from the cities.

Dante Alighieri talks about it several times in the Divine Comedy, as when he mentions the Ghibelline Manfredi of Sicily, sovereign of the Kingdom of Sicily, in Purgatory III and meets him together with Virgil on the beach of the Antipurgatory in the first row of negligents (excommunicated deads).

From then until 1530 the distinguished family produced thirty Priors and ten Gonfaloniers, war commissioners, ambassadors and several knights of the Golden Spur order (the pontifical knightly order conferred on those who did their utmost to spread the message of the Church).

The Gianfigliazzis built houses, lodges, and towers in the district of Santa Trinita and evidence indicates they were also the owners of the houses around the church. The Gianfigliazzi family died out in 1764 with Canonico Rinaldo of Lodovico whose tomb can be visited at the Basilica of Santa Trinita located next to the Antica Torre Tornabuoni in Piazza Santa Trinita.

Dante did not only mention the Gianfigliazzi family in Purgatory III, but we also find a reference in Inferno XVII. With the extinction of the Gianfigliazzi family, in 1764, it was acquired by the Fontebuoni and then by the Piccioli family.

In the palace, on the second floor, was the early 20th century the Pensione Piccioli, a privileged residence of aristocrats, English writers, artists and musicians, where among other things they were guests in 1932 and in 1935 the Russian writers Dmitri Merezkovskil and Zenaide Hippius.

The Pensione Piccioli closed after World War II and thanks to the heirs reopened in 2001 as a historical residence with the name “Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1”, which was followed, in 2008, with the Residenza d’Epoca (Historic Residence) Palazzo Gianfigliazzi of Via Tornabuoni 1.

Thanks to careful restoration which has safeguarded the building’s charm and architectural heritage, the evocative ambience of the Via Tornabuoni palace has regained life and warmth.

Our two glorious rooftop terraces offer a unique view: the main one guarantees an unbeatable view of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the hills of Fiesole and the second one faces the Arno River and the great monuments of the Oltrarno.

Today Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1 is not a boutique hotel but a historic mansion where guests can relive an authentic moment of history, not as spectators but as protagonists.

PRESIDENTIAL GRANDUCA SUITE
Like a mirror the headboards of the beds reflect the panorama you admire from the windows and the terraces while the details of the rooms recall the Basilica of Santo Spirito, Basilica of Santa Croce and the church of Santa Trinita.

Located on the sixth floor of Palazzo Gianfigliazzi, the suite offers an exclusive private terrace overlooking via de Tornabuoni and three rooms from which to admire the river and Oltrarno, with its timeless appeal.

The Suite, with exclusive access, consists of a large living room with relaxation area and sofas, LCD 50” TV and a workstation with pc and printer, as well as an raised area with two antique libraries, piano and dining table with seating for six.

The Granduca Suite consists of three bedrooms and four marble bathrooms, three with shower and one with bathtub, a spa area with steambath and jacuzzi for two equipped with a unique, speakerless sound reproduction system offering the pure essence of sound.

To complete the “Granduca” experience we offer the range of bath amenities from Officina Tornabuoni, the prestigious brand founded in via Tornabuoni in 1843.

ROMANTIC JUNIOR SUITE
The sunset fills this beautiful room with colors; it is finely decorated with frescoes, and has three large windows overlooking the Arno River and Palazzo Feroni Spini. A view of the main bridges of Florence – Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Santa Trinita – really make the panorama unique.

A nice candlelight bath in the large hot tub, surrounded by the scent of incense and rose petals, will refresh you after a busy day of work or sightseeing in Florentine museums. The walls in beige and light blue lines are decorated in “damask motif”, inspired by a Florentine cloth of the 1700s.

The room has an area of 35 square meters, oak flooring, bed with wall canopy, circular marble table with comfortable chairs, large sofa, Calacatta Gold marble bathroom with separate toilet, “panoramic” hot tub and shower, high resolution LCD TV, DVD player, telephone with direct outside access, mini-bar, electronic safe.

The room, heated and air conditioned, offers free Wi-Fi access, shoehorn, slippers and hairdryer. The room can be connected to a Deluxe room.

HAMMAM SUITE
This room is designed for those wanting time for themselves. Its wellness area with a chromotherapy system, double jacuzzi, turkish bath for two persons and two sun loungers offers maximum relaxation.

The frescoed walls, the headboard inspired by the church of Santo Spirito, and the view of the river and the Ponte Vecchio fills the atmosphere with charm. The room has a marble bathroom with large shower, high resolution LCD TV, DVD player, telephone with direct outside access, mini-bar and electronic safe.

The room offers free Wi-Fi access, shoehorn, slippers, hair dryer. The room can be connected with a Library Jr. Suite to facilitate residence for families and groups with large numbers of people.

THE BREAKFAST
A chance to enjoy breakfast sat in the comfort of our salotto/lounge with sound immersion, a new-opening which boasts the most exclusive technology in the audio field, a system which diffuses sound homogeneously in all areas.

You’ll be able to admire a view of Florence from the large windows or from our terrace overlooking the Arno river. Every day you may taste – on Richard Ginori porcelain dishes – a rich breakfast which includes traditional delicacies prepared freshly every day.

Consequently breakfast is a triumphant delicacy, from our apple and apricot jam, which are of course organic to bitter oranges from the Antica Spezieria delle Monache Benedettine (Benedictine monks) on to honey comb and ancient grains bread that you can cut yourself as you please, fresh seasonal fruit, mini pain au chocolat, cream and pastries, delicious walnuts and almonds as well as cakes freshly baked every morning in our kitchen.

In our tower, all the food is short chain, we work with local producers who provide us with mainly organic products and work with an ethical approach. Our salotto/lounge with sound immersion represents a perfect combination of past and modern cutting-edge style.

Prestigious furniture and precious paintings hanging on the walls enriched by lambris recall ancient memories, while the innovative technology which was projected and carried out as a world exclusive by Glauk, gives you the highest sound quality wherever you find yourself in the room.

THE LIGHT LUNCH
Our light lunch service is the tower’s forte, a union of high quality local, organic products. We love to prepare sandwiches and salads in an open kitchen for our diners, the flavours and pairings are no doubt a unique experience.

Our combinations which are created exclusively, offer unusual pairings and unless you are a creature of habit, you’ll be able to mix and match different ingredients for your sandwich from our menu.

A few of the most interesting being, a roastbeef sandwich with salad, tomato, mayonnaise and horseradish or prawn salad with citrus fruit mayonnaise and not forgetting our club sandwich or our traditional toasts.

THE PANORAMIC BAR
There are some experiences that are difficult to forget and probably the view of Florence from our terrace is one of those. You can admire the red summer sunset or the pink autumn sunset from our rooftop bar surrounded by the tower’s merlons which have been protecting the tower for over 800 years.

The dome terrace has a breathtaking view of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Giotto’s bell tower while the Arno terrace offers a more intimate atmosphere, looking over an exclusive side of Florence, from Palazzo Pitti to Forte Belvedere and the dome of Santo Spirito; all accompanied by the peaceful flow of the silvery Arno river.

Our bartender will show you our carefully selected wine list in which Tuscan and I Italian wines shine, just a few exceptions for champagne; whereas if you fancy an aperitif, you could be surprised by our signature cocktails created personally by him, of course using only high quality ingredients such as rose liqueur from Officina Farmaceutica Profumo di Santa Maria Novella or Rosolio delle Monache Benedettine (benedictine monks) with which he prepares his special spritz.

For mixology enthusiasts, there is the opportunity to organize hourly lessons in which you can learn how to prepare Negroni cocktails and other specialties including “Sunset” an aperitif to be enjoyed during sunset.

 THE TOWER RESTAURANT
The Tower Restaurant draws inspiration solely from Florence. Nestled between the 13th century merlons and surrounded only by the colours of an unrivaled city is where you will find our restaurant, The Tower, located in our winter garden during the cold season and under the stars on mild summer evenings.

We are right in the heart of Florence, but you’ll feel like you are in a timeless place, maybe it is, while in the distance you can hear music from the streets and the crickets singing.

Our restaurant serves the best that our region has on offer, using exclusively locally sourced products; fresh fish from the gulf of Follonica, Chianina meat and saffron which is still hand picked by established farms such as Palagiaccio.

Our menu tells a story or better it exposes Florence’s soul through the most traditional recipes, prepared by the talented hands of our chef, Carlos Eduardo Curasma.

WEDDINGS IN FLORENCE
In the heart of Florence (Tuscany), a few steps from the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, the Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1 is the perfect setting for your Florence wedding or honeymoon.

The property welcomes you in a refined environment, ideal for hosting exclusive receptions. The seventh floor is home to the Sound Immersion Salotto that offers you a true musical experience.

With a width of 75 square meters, it can receive up to 32 seated guests and 40 people with a buffet reception. The terraces of the Antica Torre Via Tornabuoni 1 will win you over with the landscape’s beauty and, during the spring and summer seasons, will welcome your guests in an unforgettable scene.

The Terrace overlooking the Arno River has an area of 125 square meters; the Terrace overlooking the Duomo, however, is equipped with an elegant gazebo that seats about 30 people.

The kitchen offers you the tastes of Florentine tradition, carefully revisited thanks to the chef’s talent and skill, who will enchant you with delicious dishes served at the table with elegance. The proposals range from traditional to special menus such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or fusion.

Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1 has luxurious rooms of different sizes and decorative styles, all overlooking magnificent views of Florence. For your night, we suggest the charming Romantic room.

On the most important day of your life, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, exchange your wedding vows in one of the most romantic languages, native to the city that will serve as the setting for the proclamation of your eternal love.

Italian me offers two hours of language coaching to help couples create and recite their special wedding vows in the language of love – Italian. Price on request.

THE BEST ROOFTOP IN FLORENCE
Only our guests can access the terraces and enjoy the best view of Florence. The dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, the hills of Fiesole and Settignano, the Arno River, the Santa Trinita Bridge and Via Maggio, the church of San Miniato a Monte, Forte Belvedere designed by Buontalenti, the hill of Bellosguardo, Palazzo Vecchio, the bell tower of Santa Trinita: from our rooftop, wherever you turn, Florence will show you all its splendor.

Enchanted by this view, you can spend time in our Panoramic Bar where there is an excellent wine list and many delights to be enjoyed.

SIGNATURE TOURS
Due to a collaboration with some professional guides we are able to offer to our guests unique, special and exclusive tours.

TOUR 1
Discover the fascinating history of the Tornabuoni family. On this tour your guide will shed light on the life of this family and life of the privileged families living in Florence during the 15th and 16th centuries. Going down Tornabuoni street there will be many palaces with incredible stories to talk about.

After this first introduction you will enter inside Santa Maria Novella church and see with your own eyes the amazing works of art these patrons commissioned, learn about the famous school where their heirs got their education, and reach the main chapel in the center of the apse commissioned by the Tornabuoni family.

Here you will admire the frescoes done by Ghirlandaio and his students (one of which was Michelangelo) and relish in the beauty of Renaissance art and way of describing religious stories.

TOUR 2
In depth tour of the famous fashion street in Florence, home of the best and local most luxurious shops since the Middle Ages. You will learn about life as a banker and trader during 15th and 16th century Florence.

We will, of course, start with the Tornabuoni and Gianfigliazzi families and proceed with the challenges and successes of the Ferragamo, the Bartolini Salimbeni, and the Strozzi. After this first half of the tour, you will enter the stunning Palazzo Larderel and create your own and personalized herbal tea.

After this break, you will enter one of the few baroque churches in Florence, see the first courtyard of the Antinori palace and end the tour with a final visit of the peaceful jet rich Santa Trinita church.

THE UFFIZI MUSEUM
Special evening opening and tour of the most important painting museum in Italy. A gift the Medici family bequeathed to the city of Florence, it now display an enticing collection showing the evolution in art from the sparks of Renaissance to the 17th century.

You will be able to enjoy without the crowds world renowned masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and many others. Entrance time will be around 7.30pm and you will have an expert and licensed tour guide with you to fully appreciate and better understand the collection and the masterpieces in front of you.

THE ACCADEMIA GALLERY
Special evening opening of the Accademia gallery. Here you will be able to fully enjoy masterpieces by Michelangelo like the captives, the pietà and, of course, the David.

Away from the crowds and immersed in a magical silence, your tour guide will tell you the story of this museum, of its most famous pieces and also of the less known ones, like the musical instrument display with the first piano ever built or the only 100% completely original viola made by Stradivari.

SANTA CROCE CHURCH
Special late afternoon opening of Santa Croce church. Called the pantheon of the Italian glories, it houses the final resting place of many Italian history key personages such as Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Rossini, Machiavelli or Lorenzo Ghiberti.

A gothic Franciscan church with frescoes by Giotto and his school, a mystical place with an 800 year long history to be discovered in the late afternoon quiet and peace. This special opening is available from Mondays through Fridays from 5.30pm to 7pm with the exception of special events or liturgical functions.

BARGELLO MUSEUM
An incredibly well preserved medieval building which was used as the Bargello’s office (the chief of police) from the early Renaissance to the 19th century.

A former prison which was turned into a National museum in the 18 hundreds and is now the house of the best in Renaissance sculpture, from the first ever made Renaissance work of art, to stunning an unique sculptures by Donatello, Verrocchio, Giambologna, Cellini and, of course, Michelangelo.

You will also be able to admire and stand in the famous courtyard where in 1786 death penalty was abolished for Florence and all the Grand Dukedom of Tuscany.

PALAZZO VECCHIO MUSEUM
Seat of the Florentine political power since its opening in 1301, the Palazzo Vecchio museum boasts some of the most fascinating rooms and apartments in the whole town. You will be able to learn its history and about all the different personalities that have worked and lived in this building.

You will see the famous Hall of the Five hundred, see a statue by Michelangelo, enter the private studio of an alchemist, admire the view from its stunning terraces, see Machiavelli’s own office and some of the best preserved world maps of the 16th century.

CASA BUONARROTI MUSEUM
Private opening of a less known jewel in the very heart of the historical town. You will enter the house bought by Michelangelo’s nephew that collects, displays and celebrates the works and the dreams of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

For centuries the Buonarroti family and the the Buonarroti foundation, have collected and preserved works by Michelangelo: sketches, sculptures, ceramics, and studies. A little treasure divided onto two floors of a Florentine Baroque palace.

Rooms: 24

Price: from 198 EUR per night

Source: www.tornabuoni1.com