Relais Santa Croce by Baglioni review: a palazzo fit for a Florentine noble

Once the home of Papal treasurer and sonnet composer Marquis Giovanni Maria Baldinucci, the Relais Santa Croce by Baglioni Hotels Resorts in Florence is an intimate nobleman’s palazzo. Also known by its historic name, the Jacometti-Ciofi Palace, it was built in the 1700s and has been beautifully restored with original frescoes and marble throughout. 

Its 24 luxurious rooms and suites are spacious and thoughtful, with the sumptuous signature suites – Da Verrazzano and De Pepi – each adorned with magnificent fully frescoed ceilings. Located on Via Ghibellina, the hotel is in the heart of the ancient Santa Croce district at the eastern end of Florence’s historical centre. This runs along the city’s enchanting river Arno, with picturesque bridges and bustling markets.

Da Verrazzano suite at Relais Santa Croce

Baglioni Hotels Resorts

Why stay here?

If you are a fan of opera, this hotel is a must-stay. A passion for music is central to the property’s design, with its crowning jewel being the Music Room. This concert hall, complete with a high, domed ceiling, soprano chambers and frescoed walls, is designed specifically to provide the best acoustics for listening to musicians and singers.

True to its origins, this is a hotel with no pretence. As it was designed for the Florentine nobles, it offers guests a peaceful and luxurious home to relax in – making it the perfect respite after a day of sightseeing. Lively Santa Croce is known as the haunt of artists and art lovers, but it’s just outside of the most touristy area of the city. This means it’s away from the humdrum, but a quick ten-minute stroll from the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and other main attractions. 

The Music Room at Relais Santa Croce

Baglioni Hotels Resorts

Eating and drinking

Guelfi Ghibellini, the hotel’s elegant restaurant run by chef Niccolo De Riu, serves a host of delicious dishes. Inspired by Tuscan cuisine, the menu incorporates both the seafood traditional to the region’s coast and the meat typical of the inland areas. Try the felicetti fusilli pasta with “dolceforte” duck ragout – rumoured to have been the creation of Catherine de’ Medici – for a deeply savoury dish, with a hint of sweetness from dark chocolate melted into the sauce.

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/arts-life/travel/957073/relais-santa-croce-by-baglioni-hotel-review-florence