This apartment is spacious, beautiful, and perfectly located within walking distance of every main attraction, as well as the train station. The owners (Giovanni and Valeria) go above and beyond to ensure your stay in their apartment, and city, is comfortable and enjoyable.
Location: It is hard to imagine a better location. The train station is a 5 minute walk. The Duomo is just a 2-5 minute walk. Mercato Centrale is less than 3 blocks away, and there are many other great restaurants, bars, and shops within 1-3 blocks. Around the corner is a fully equipped gym (Klab) that offers visitors a day pass for 25 euro.
Apartment: The description and photos do not fully capture the wonder of this apartment. It is a perfect mix of old world beauty and opulence, but with modern amenities, including completely modern heat and air, bathrooms, and kitchen. The apartment is furnished with beautiful antiques acquired by Giovanni’s parents who were antique dealers. There are numerous large modern windows throughout the apartment which open easily and look out at the Medici Chapel, but also have working shutters that black out any light at night. This apartment was once the private residence of Pope Clement (the VIII I believe), and its incredibly high ceilings are still adorned with the amazing original frescoes he commissioned. The apartment is three bedrooms, that can be configured into 2 kings, and 1 twin, or 1 king and 3 twins, to fit your family’s needs. The beds felt new and very comfortable, and had nice down pillows and comforters. The kitchen and bathrooms are completely renovated with modern appliances and finishes. If you choose to cook, you have a six burner modern stove, oven, a full sized fridge, dishwasher, and the kitchen is fully stocked with cooking and eating utensils and even some spices. There is also a modern washer/dryer in the apartment for your use.
Hosts: Giovanni and Valeria were the consummate hosts. Giovanni communicated well in advance (through WhatsApp) to enquire as to how he might help make our stay better. He even met us at the train station to help take my mother-in-law’s bags to the apartment and then again helped when we departed. He made dinner reservations for us at two restaurants (Regina Bistecca was one of, if not the, best meal during our trip to Rome, Venice, and Florence) and connected us with a tour company. After check-in he walked me around the neighborhood to help me get my bearings and checked-in with us every day to make sure our needs were met. To give just a small example of the thoughtfulness of these hosts, we asked him to turn off the heat in the apartment when we first arrived because we generally like to sleep in a cool room. He did this, but he then turned the heat back on in the bathrooms in the mornings for a short period so that we would not be cold while showering, and our towels would warm up on the towel heaters. I can’t ever recall a host being as thoughtful, and this is just one example.
We hope to return to Florence in the near future, and when we do, we will stay again at Giovanni and Valeria’s apartment. The experience of staying in a truly historic space, with such wonderful hosts, was the highlight of our family’s vacation.