Tailor-made in Florence

Unveiled in May 2010, it is said to be Florence’s latest masterpiece and its name is Il Salviatino. Begun in the 14th century, it has been finely worked and remodelled over the years. It was bought by bankers and merchants in the 15th and 16th centuries, and has now, thanks to a five-year restoration project, evolved into a dazzling work of art, on the hillside above Florence. It is hidden, but only just, so that when the city piazzas become too crowded, you can escape to this haven of tranquil luxury.

What exactly is it then? To call it a hotel is too crude. It’s as if you had discovered you had a wealthy Italian uncle, a man with a taste for beautiful architecture, art and fine dining, who had invited you to stay at his palatial villa to get to know his (and your) extended family.

Arriving at Il Salviatino, you’re greeted with a glass of wine in the elegant library with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, dark leather sofas, candelabra and glossy art books spread on the table before you. But if you only want to rest and be uplifted by Florence’s magic, well, they understand this perfectly, too.

My room – cool, spacious and lofty with wood-panelled ceiling, cream walls, big lilies and dark parquet floor, has a view of the Duomo, slightly hazy from the midday sun. It’s like being on a film set, and it induces a response to match. There’s a knock on the door, and in steps a good-looking young Italian in a beige suit. He’s one of Il Salviatino’s ultradiscreet Ambassadors (a kind of roving butler) and he explains how everything works, from the coffee machine to the appearance of the TV, which he conjures up in the middle of a 10ft-square mirror on the wall opposite my bed.

I wrench myself from my room to lunch in the hotel’s restaurant. Our small group is overlooked by copies of old masters as we tuck in to beef carpaccio and tiramisu. We leave the table (amazing sixcourse dinners will follow) and head to one of the hotel’s real surprises: a bespoke shirt tailoring service, conducted by Florentine Simone Abbarchi.

Before him lie samples of cloth for us to choose from. Seigneur Abbarchi jots down our preferences and whisks us
to fittings. The finished garment arrives, like an aidememoire, at your home just when you’re recovering from the shock of returning to reality.

But Il Salviatino’s guests face a dilemma: once you’re there, you don’t want to leave, even though you know Florence and her glories are a 10-minute drive away. There’s no easy solution: best just to pitch in to the centre of town and start.

I go on a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery. Its paintings and sculptures are brought alive by the rhapsodic explanation of Cynthia, our Californian guide who arrived in Florence years before and simply never left.

In hushed tones (you have to make reservations in advance), we’re led through a secret door into the remarkable Vasari corridor, built by the Medicis in 1565 above the then butchers’ and tanners’ shops on the oldest medieval bridge in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio. When the offensive smells reached the noses of the Medicis, they closed the shops, and today they’re all jewellers.

The Vasari Corridor links the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the River Arno and was used
as a private passageway for three centuries. Along its walls is the largest collection in the world of self-portraits. The corridor cuts through the back of the church of Santa Felicita so that the Medicis could slip in and attend mass privately.

Being in Florence is like being dropped into a vat of culture, so heady and consuming is the atmosphere. By afternoon, saturated, we leave the town and head into the hills of Fiesole to a medieval castle, Vincigliata, which was
first mentioned in Florence’s archives in 1031 and left to moulder until 1840 when an English aristocrat rescued it.

Today, with its crenellated tower (we climb to the top, past objects of torture) Castle Vincigliata is a romantic setting
for weddings and events. The sun sets as we enjoy winetasting on the terrace, Florence shimmering in the distance.

My final treat takes place on my last morning in the Thaiconcept Devarana Spa set in Il Salviatino’s 11-acre Italian
garden. But all fairytales have to end I guess, so with a heavy suitcase but a heart full of art, I return to Gatwick, already planning when I can stay at my ‘long-lost uncle’s’ place again.

HOW TO GET THERE Hotel Il Salviatino

www.salviatino.com Quintessentially Travel arranges two- and fournight stays for two people from £650 per person
including return flights from Gatwick. For details: 0845-224 6915, www.quintessentiallytravel.com