Palazzo Dreams

Palazzo Dreams: Tuscany

Housed in a former palazzo built for a noble family, it does get more Florentine than this plush little apartment. It’s a twelve-minute walk to the very centre of Florence – the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore – with the Ufizzi and Ponte Vecchio just beyond that. Stick around the immediate area and you’ve got the Accademia Gallery a five-minute stroll away and the museums of Piazza San Marco on your doorstep, alongside myriad restaurants, cafés and bars.

Once the Branchi di Leonbianco’s administration building, this place has been restored with 19th century Florence kept in mind. Dark purple, velvet dining chairs and sofas sit against midnight-blue walls in the open living area, which feels like a 21st-century take on 19th-century opulence. In the master bedroom the winged, tufted headboard feels particularly lavish and the original windows in both bedrooms are a reminder of the building’s history.

Home truths:
*At capacity, two guests will be on the sofa bed in the living room
*The kitchenette has a microwave and hob but not a full oven
*This apartment is in a historic building on the second floor, so you'll have to climb some steps to reach it
*There is no parking with this apartment but you're in the heart of Florence with traffic restrictions anyway, so having a car is more of a hindrance