Villa San Michele Fiesole

In the small Tuscan hillside town of Fiesole, a short drive away from Florence, one finds the 5 star Hotel Villa San Michele. The building was constructed in the 15th Century as a Franciscan monastery and was inhabited by monks right up until the start of the 19th century when Napoleon dissolved the monastic orders.

The façade attributed to Michelangelo and the villa's stunning loggia, date back to 1600 when the building was enlarged and renovated by Giovanni di Bartolommeo Davanzati. A great deal of the original artwork which adorned the monastery is now housed in the various museums of Florence, although a number of masterpieces can still be observed within the rooms of the building including the 17th century fresco of the Last Supper by Nicodemo Ferrucci sited in the halls once used as the Monks' refectory.

In 1982 the property was purchased by Orient Express Hotels. In collaboration with the Florence Fine Arts Authority, the new owners initiated a comprehensive restoration program involving the entire estate from the façade to the Limonaia and tiny chapel in the gardens.

Today the Hotel Villa San Michele has 46 rooms and suites fitted with every modern amenity, located in the old monastery or buildings within the hotel's terraced gardens. Not surprisingly given the history of the building, each and every room is quite unique, furnished with exquisite pieces of period furniture.
The Michelangelo suite, in rooms once used as the library of the monastery, is one of the largest of the hotel's 25 suites measuring 65sqm and stretching the whole length of the façade of the Villa San Michele. The suite is furnished with fabulous canopied bed and unique antiques. Impressive views of Florence, the Arno Valley and the Chianti countryside can be admired from the windows.

The San Michele Restaurant is an established favourite among hotel guests and non residents alike, serving the finest Tuscan and Italian cuisine. In summer months guests dine al fresco under the arches of the Loggia whilst in the shoulder seasons the restaurant transfers in to the elegant Cloister and Cenacolo dining rooms.

Hotel Villa San Michele provides the perfect venue for exclusive meetings and social gatherings, with two function rooms for 30 and 50 participants.