The joy of travelling

The “Oltrarno” – or as the Florentines call it, the “Diladdarno” – is the area of Florence built on the left bank of the river Arno. With its famous districts of Santo Spirito and San Frediano, this area has a strong cultural identity and boasts a wealth of monuments, gardens, museums and magnificent buildings that are unique anywhere in the world. Home to Palazzo Pitti, the Basilica di Santo Spirito, the Bardini Gardens, the Boboli Gardens and the workshops of artisans, goldsmiths and furniture restorers, the Oltrarno is the area of Florence that best preserves the city’s original spirit. One can still breathe the city’s traditional, authentic atmosphere away from the bustle of tourism which here is more discreet and sustainable.
Close to the splendid Piazza del Carmine, in a charming, quiet location hidden away in the heart of the city, stands a historic building called “il Conventino”, a nuns’ convent built in the eighteenth century with funding from the Verrazzano family. Occupying a large portion of the building owned by the Florentine archbishop’s seminary is Horto Convento, a luxury hotel catering for a business and leisure clientele that was opened just a few months ago but has already earned a reputation for its unique atmosphere. Built in the space previously occupied by the San Francesco boarding school for girls by architects Angelo De Napoli and Silvia Pintus with the technical support of the firm Architettura e Restauro di Leone Bottai, the hotel stands out for its suffused atmosphere and timeless silence, which can be felt as soon as one steps through the old stone archway with its wrought iron gate dating from the former convent.
The tangible sense of history, the austere garden with its delightful scents, especially that of jasmine and of the ancient Lebanon cedar that towers over the garden, the sensation of peace that envelops the visitor as soon as he enters – here everything contributes to creating a unique and unforgettable experience.
The foyer stands out for its sophisticated neutral tones punctuated here and there by unexpected splashes of colour, artful design details and a highly eclectic art collection, including a large variety of prints.
The common spaces are vibrant and welcoming, almost a home from home. They include a range of comfortable and curious settings, all enhanced by the Prime Stone floor tiles from Panaria, chosen in the Greige Prime Lux colour and 90×90 cm size. This innovative surface combines the natural look of stone with the contemporary nature of concrete surfaces. The soft aesthetic, harmonious colours and wealth of details coupled with a classic yet contemporary interior design ensure that the foyer, reception and breakfast area are functional yet extremely relaxing spaces. The meticulously-designed lighting system emphasises the spectacular decorated ceilings with floral stucco, the large columns in the foyer and the vaulted ceilings in the breakfast room and allow them to coordinate perfectly with the contemporary furnishings, in particular the brightly coloured soft chairs, some plain coloured and others patterned. The hotel has around thirty rooms of various types, all beautifully fitted out with furniture designed by Studio Casa Rex Firenze and designed with the utmost attention to detail in an almost sartorial spirit. The central focus is on the “tailor made” concept that has always been a key characteristic of the finest Italian craftsmanship, the creativity that combines modernity with history through intelligence of design and high-quality materials.