Belmond Villa San Michele

Belmond Villa San Michele
Villa San Michele, Fiesole
Former names	Villa San Michele
General information
Type	Luxury hotel
Town or city	Florence
Country	Italy
Coordinates	43°48′10″N 11°17′54″E
Named for	Church of St Michael the Archangel
Completed	15th century
Renovated	≈1600s (expansion as monastery) ≈1900s (new owner) ≈1950s (post-World War II)
Owner	Belmond Management Ltd
Technical details
Floor count	2

The Belmond Villa San Michele is a hotel situated on the hill of Fiesole overlooking Florence, Italy. It is named after the church of St Michael the Archangel. Today it is owned by Belmond Ltd. and is operated as a luxury hotel.

History

Villa San Michele, Fiesole

The original building was a monastery, founded in the early years of the 15th century for the Franciscan friars.^[1] The land on which it stood had been donated by a Florentine family, the Davanzatis, who also contributed to the monastery's upkeep by gifts of woodlands, further buildings and money.^[2]

The present building, with its façade attributed to Michelangelo and its imposing loggia,^[3] dates from 1600 when it was enlarged and completely renovated by Giovanni di Bartolomeo Davanzati. The monastery remained the property of the Franciscans until 1808 when the monastic orders were dissolved by Napoleon and, in 1817, it returned to secular use. By this time, many of its most treasured possessions had been dispersed throughout Florence's churches and art galleries.^[4]

In 1900 the Villa was acquired by Henry W. Cannon, a New York City bank president,^[5] who landscaped the gardens, erected large greenhouses and restored the building after the fashion of the Victorians, by adding wrought iron gates and by applying a rust-coloured patina to the walls. He also converted the courtyard into a winter garden by covering it with a roof of glass and iron.

During World War II, the Villa was badly damaged and, in 1950, it was bought by Monsieur Lucien Teissier and Madame Mary Teissier as a private residence.^[6]

He set about restoring the 20 first floor rooms, while living on the second floor, but the cost involved was substantial and to finance it, he turned the villa in to a hotel for those wanting to visit the nearby art treasures of Florence and the surrounding countryside.^[7]

In 1982, Orient-Express Hotels, which already owned the Hotel Cipriani in Venice bought the Villa San Michele and the surrounding land.^[8][9] A comprehensive restoration of the buildings was embarked upon, this time with the cooperation of the Florence Fine Arts Authority.

In 2014 the Villa San Michele was renamed the Belmond Villa San Michele when Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. changed its name to Belmond Ltd.^[10]

References

1. "Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence | Traveller Made". SERANDIPIANS (in French). Retrieved 14 March 2023.
2. "Belmond Villa San Michele - Florence, Italy - Exclusive 5 Star Luxury Hotel". www.luxurytravelmagazine.com. Luxury Travel Magazine. 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
3. "Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence". Virtuoso. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
4. "Villa San Michele Fiesole". italyTRAVELLER. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
5. Bickerton, Ian (12 Apr 2012). "See you, see me". The Florentine. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
6. "About the Villa San Michele in Florence!". Ciao Laura. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
7. Sherwood, James B. (25 April 2012). Orient Express: A Personal Journey. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84954-385-9. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
8. "Villa San Michele: Spirit Of The Renaissance Varnished With Modern Luxury". Luxurious Magazine. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
9. Simplon, Venice (10 June 2022). "The Luxury of Time". www.mag1861.it (in Italian). mag1861. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
10. "Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. to launch Belmond brand". Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2014-03-25.

External links

• Official website