The history of Villa La Massa dates back over 400 years when Santi Landini, a famous publisher of the Florentine Aristocracy, built it to be his summer residence on the shore of the Arno river and yet, only 5 miles from the historic centre of Florence and next to the Chianti Classico, Gallo Nero and Rufina regions.
This Medici Villa, built in the 16th century, was transformed into a luxury hotel in 1948 and since then many celebrities have enjoyed a stay here, such as Clark Gable, Winston Churchill, Barabara Hutton, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Madonna and David Bowie who decided to get married here Iman.
Since the Villa d’Este group purchased the hotel in 1999, the whole property has been completely restored thus adding new lustre to the splendid old mansion.
There are only 37 guest rooms including double rooms, junior suites and suites, with view of the gardens or of the river Arno. The rooms are decorated in the Renaissance style and feature antique furniture, four-poster beds and buffed terracotta tiles, typical of the Medici period. All have spacious marble bathrooms, air conditioning, satellite-TV, pay-per-view movies, high-speed internet connection, safe and mini-bar.
Dining at The Verrocchio Restaurant is a unique experience, as apart from the sumptuous cuisine, no other restaurant in Florence has such a terrace overlooking the Arno river. The Chef proposes an Italian menu and typical dishes from the Tuscan culinary tradition, while the ample wine list offers over 300 labels and there is wine tasting every week which is held in the cellar.
The Fitness Centre located in the Noble Villa has state of the art equipment and a treatment room for a wide range of massages.
The hotel offers complimentary daily shuttle service every hour to and from Ponte Vecchio, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. or you can rent a Mercedes Smart from the hotel, but please reserve it in advance.