The hotel: Villa San Michele, Fiesole, Florence

Check-in

After navigating a chaotic Florence airport and some hairy hairpin bends in our hire-car, arriving at this newly renovated Renaissance villa – its facade attributed to the school of Michelangelo – feels even more like a serene escape from life’s mundane realities. Architect and designer Luigi Fragola says it was the stillness of the villa that first struck him as he walked through the 15th-century estate: “What fascinated me was the silence – that silence of places that have truly lived.”

Formerly a convent, at one time Napoleon’s headquarters and more recently a private home, the building, set high in the Fiesole hills above Tuscany’s capital, has been painstakingly reimagined. It’s also now the hotel du jour for the rich and fabulous (model Alexa Chung and DJ Isabella Massenet were at the reopening party). Given the Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari in the driveway, I’m also somewhat relieved we were upgraded to a Mercedes instead of the Opel Astra I’d booked online.

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The look

While original cloisters, stone fireplaces, restored frescoes and heavy curtains speak to its weighty history, works by Italian artists – hand-painted murals by Francesca Guicciardini, watercolours by botanical artist Maria Rita Stirpe, wall coverings by Elena Carozzi – bring present-day personality. The terraced gardens, with 180-degree views as far as Brunelleschi’s cupola crowning the Duomo, are a highlight: lavender and rosemary scent the gravel pathways, while the lemon trees are the healthiest I’ve seen, weighed down with enormous fruit.

The room

We’re staying in a garden suite that’s seemingly built into the hillside, jasmine hedges camouflaging our private alfresco area from passers-by. There are, of course, rooms in the villa itself (39 altogether), but being enveloped in nature feels wonderfully therapeutic. The green Cipollino marble in the bathroom and local Impruneta terracotta floors echo the gardens outside, while raw linens and a chalky palette reflect Fragola’s restrained approach. Artisanal details include hand-painted tapestries, silks from Venice-based Rubelli and ornate scagliola [a 17th-century plastering technique] tabletops by Tuscan workshop Bianco Bianchi.

Food + drink

It’s appropriate that a fresco of The Last Supper adorns the original refectory where a sumptuous buffet breakfast is laid out – there are so many irresistible cakes and pastries alongside cured meats, cheese, yoghurt, juices, fruit and yes, eight types of honey (the villa has its own beehives), that you need never eat again. And that’s without ordering eggs Florentine from the a la carte menu.

Under a striped awning at the alfresco pool grill, try a vibrant Caprese salad or linguine alla Nerano (with zucchini); at Ristorante San Michele it’s all about the caponata, the eggplant parmigiana and the Chianina beef used in the tartare. The sheer volume of local and seasonal ingredients is impressive.

Dishes get more intricate at Antesi, the eight-table fine dining restaurant in the 16th-century loggia, where executive chef Alessandro Cozzolino conjures an ambitious culinary journey called the “cuisine of time” – the elaborate presentation occasionally taking precedence over depth of flavour.

For a more casual experience, the intimate Bar Doccia offers an excellent drinks list including several non-alcoholic aperitivi, alongside substantial snacks. As is traditional, if you order a couple of cocktails you’ll also be served bowls of olives, almonds and chips but maybe treat yourself to a couple of croquettes blanketed in shaved white truffle for good measure.

Out and about

You don’t have to travel far to dip into the area’s history: nearby Monte Ceceri is where Leonardo da Vinci came to study local birds of prey and eventually tested his “great kite” flying machine. The hotel offers several immersive experiences including a hike through those woodlands, a calligraphy masterclass and a paper-making workshop, while its shuttle bus will drop you in the centre of Florence at Piazza della Repubblica (so much easier than attempting Fiesole’s narrow, winding roads yourself). Wellness devotees are also looked after, with three treatment rooms including a double suite at Italy’s first Guerlain spa, and, up in the woods, an Energy Chapel, Sungazing Lounge and yoga deck designed by super-cool Milanese lifestyle brand La DoubleJ.

The verdict

The celebration of Italian craftsmanship and the level of thoughtful detail at this historic Franciscan convent, combined with the sublime peace of its gardens, make a stay here unforgettable.

Essentials

Rooms from €1220 ($2,000) a night. Due to the historic nature of the property, accessibility is limited; however, there are two Junior Suites that are wheelchair accessible. See belmond.com

Our score out of five

★★★★★

Highlight

Sunset drinks outside as a jazz duo plays and the lights come on in the Arno Valley.

Lowlight

During our visit soon after reopening, some newer staff were still learning the ropes.

The writer was a guest of Belmond Villa San Michele.