Stella D'Italia is a Renaissance haven that tells a story of Florence

Stella D’Italia is the latest offering from visionary hoteliers Matteo Perduca and Betty Soldi, adding a fourth gem to their collection of Florentine luxury bed and breakfast establishments. The hotel is placed in an extraordinary setting within the Palazzo del Circolo dell’Unione, which was designed by Renaissance architect and artist Giorgio Vasari. The grand 16th-century Palazzo is on Via Tornabuoni, in the elegant shopping district, surrounded by luxury fashion houses and minutes away from the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo.

Step inside Stella D’Italia, Florence

There are twenty-four rooms over three floors of the building – each room is different and presents a unique experience of Florence. Furnished with an eclectic and colourful blend of the antique and the modern, the hotel has been designed to reflect the passions, interests and events that have shaped Italy’s rich cultural landscape. ‘Stella D’Italia was designed to inspire, intrigue and arouse curiosity’ says its creative director, Matteo Perduca, adding: ‘We are telling a story of Italy’.

Stella D’Italia gives the feeling of staying in a fabulous private home, with layers of fascinating detail and memorabilia to discover in the spaces of the Renaissance palazzo. The exquisite salone, which boasts an 18th-century wraparound fresco, is where guests can enjoy a delicious breakfast seated at tables hewn from numerous colourful varieties of Italian marble – it is airy and uplifting, with a tranquillity that belies the fact that the hotel is positioned at the heart of the bustling city. A lift to the top floor brings you to a breezy loggia terrace that is just the spot for relaxing aperitivo as you take in views of tiled rooftops and the Tuscan hills beyond.

The hotel’s story began nearly a decade ago when Perduca, a lawyer with a passion for interiors, art and craftsmanship, and Soldi, a celebrated calligrapher, opened their first small hotel, ‘Soprano Suites’. The couple are both native Florentines with an intimate understanding of the city and a deep connection to it. At the time, the Florentine Hotel scene was somewhat polarised: there were the dusty and dated old-fashioned options, and at the other end of the spectrum, luxurious and rather bland corporate brand offerings – yet there was little in between. Perduca and Soldi decided to explore something different; luxury boutique bed and breakfast hotels with a bold and vibrant character that honours the heritage and spirit of Florence.

Perduca and Soldi saw an opportunity to make use of spaces within beautiful buildings that had fallen empty and were ‘inhabited only by pigeons.’ Unique original features such as elaborate doorways and frescoes were preserved and integrated with the design of the rooms. They drew on their extensive knowledge of their native city, and their connections in the world of art and design to appoint artisans from various fields, commissioning bespoke textiles, leather-work, furniture and ceramics. The creation of these hotels has been a labour of love for Perduca, who has overseen every detail of their design himself; weaving together diverse strands of artistic expression, and melding old and new in a process he describes as ‘Renaissance thinking.’

The second iteration of their venture, Ad Astra, was awarded a Michelin Key this year, and a third, Oltrarno Splendid, opened its doors in 2019. The duo see their set of hotels as one magnificent hospitality project, threaded through the fabric of the city, with 67 rooms now in total. Each has its own distinct identity whilst they are all linked by a shared vision. The hotels are not simply wonderful places to stay, but part of the experience of Florence.

Stella D’Italia is located at Via de’ Tornabuoni, 7, 50123 Florence, Italy, stelladitaliaflorence.com