Cappella
: refined, historic and very special
Outstanding location, next to a prominent Renaissance villa located in Florence very close to the city historical centre.
The Strozzi family were second only to the Medici in Renaissance Florence. Just to show they were "big cheeses" in the 15th century, they built their intentionally imposing Palazzo Strozzi on Via de' Tornabuoni, the smartest shopping street in the centre of Florence. Their country house was built at Settignano, a mere 5 km from the city centre in what was then open country. The villa now sits in its own estate, peaceful and serene, continuing to keep the vulgar world at bay.
Naturally the Settignano villa had its own chapel; at first surprisingly modest, then rebuilt in the 17th century as a separate structure, with a front door for the masses and a private suite to one side for the Count and Countess. The chapel is now an apartment offering a unique historic experience! How many rental house bedrooms have a frescoed ceiling, with the back-to-back moons of the Strozzi topped by a 12-pointed crown, set on a fluffy cloud against a blue sky?
The sitting room, where the nobles originally followed mass from behind the richly carved screen (it's still there - check out the bookshelves in the sitting room!), is comfortable and elegantly furnished with a settee and armchairs. The room is divided by a wide arch, with the little dining table across from the sitting room. Nothing could be more perfect for a romantic candlelit dinner. The kitchen is tiny but every bit as beautifully formed as the rest of the apartment.
Particularity suitable for tourists looking for a refined cultural experience and who want to stay in a unique historic place.
location content here
| 50 SMQ | Linen and towels for 2/4 people | Microwave/coffe machine/toaster |
| 1 Bedroom double bed | Maps and city guides | No hidden fees |
| 1 Living room | Heating/air conditioning | Free secure parking on the premise |
| 1 Dining room area | Music collection | 2 bus stop at walking distance |
| 1 Kitchenette fully equipped | Internet wifi | Private courtyard & bbq |
| 1 Bathroom with shower | Bar/restaurant/grocery 300 mts | Check in time flexible on request |
| Refrigerator | Extensive garden and park of 5000 sqm | |
| Owner living on-site | Electronic entrance gates |
Reviews
This is a very special, unique property: the bedroom is under the most spectacular ceiling you can imagine sleeping under. It shows that the owners put heart and soul into the restoration. The chapel was in spectacular shape, extremely comfortable, lots of decorator and art restoration books and magazines, plus guidebooks and maps were there. The furnishings were almost all antiques, some quite valuable, the restoration was extremely well done, as was the art restoration. It was impeccably clean.
The view of the city, with Duomo and all, was really lovely, and the property was very peaceful and quiet.
We had a car, and drove three minutes to the nearest bar/deli/bus stop, where we boarded the city bus to go to the historic center of Florence. On our way back, we stopped at the local deli to pick up antipastos and pasta, wine, bread, etc. for light dinners. The nearest large grocery store was on the bus route. There were some neighborhood restaurants nearby, but we ate mostly either at restaurants downtown, or cooked at the property.
Our surprise was that the chapel was more beautiful than the pictures on the website suggested.
Llopez (Chile)
This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member.