Torre di Bellosguardo
About the Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel
- A unique 4-star hotel in a Tuscan villa once home to astronomer Galileo Galilei, writer and revolutionary Ugo Foscolo, and poet Guido Cavalcanti, a friend of Dante, with breathtaking views of Florence
- Florence city centre is within a 10-minute drive, & the hotel is within walking distance of the artisan quarter of Oltarno
- The pet-friendly rooms have antique furniture & original frescoes, some with 4-poster beds, & there is also a large, separate apartment
- The hotel has a large outdoor pool, an organic farm, orchards, gardens & farm animals, & offers cooking classes
Overview
Set on top of a cypress-lined hill with breathtaking views over Florence, the 4-star Torre di Bellosguardo hotel occupies a 13th-century villa with an illustrious past (astronomer Galileo Galilei, writer and revolutionary Ugo Foscolo, and poet Guido Cavalcanti, a friend of Dante, all lived here; it was also home to Florentine aristocrats). The building is a well-preserved example of Mediaeval and Renaissance architecture, including its striking central tower. The interior is filled with antique furniture, stone-carved fireplaces and original frescoes and sculpture. The surrounding grounds feature cypresses, orchards, olive groves, gardens and a small organic farm with donkeys, a pony, ducks and hens.
Most of Florence's major attractions -- including the world-class Uffizi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the River Arno, Piazza del Signoria and the Palazzo Pitti -- are within a 33-minute walk from the hotel (or an 8-minute drive, £5-£7 by taxi). The artisan district of Oltrarno is a 20-minute walk from the hotel.
Featuring Florentine décor, antiques and original frescoes, each of the 16 spacious, individually decorated rooms includes free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV, a safe, a mini bar and 24-hour room service; some rooms have 4-poster beds. There's a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen, a living/dining room with a fireplace and a large private terrace. Pets are welcome.
The hotel includes a lounge, a bar and a large outdoor pool. A breakfast buffet (for a fee) is served on an outdoor terrace, with light lunches served by the pool in summer. Cooking classes are offered.