La Réserve Firenze

Florence has no shortage of magnificent Renaissance palaces, but few offer the opportunity to live in one quite like La Réserve Firenze. Hidden behind an understated entrance on Via Santo Spirito, in the city’s atmospheric Oltrarno district, this extraordinary property occupies a 15th-century palazzo that has been transformed into six private apartments. There is no grand hotel entrance, no conventional reception and certainly no attempt to compete with the city’s more ostentatious luxury hotels. The project is the creation of French couple Olivia and Grégory Marciano, who moved to Florence with their family in 2019. Rather than simply enjoying their new Italian lifestyle, they acquired a historic palazzo in 2022 that had been subdivided into 27 small student apartments. Working with French hotelier Michel Reybier and celebrated Parisian designers Gilles & Boissier, they spent four years returning the building to its original architectural proportions. La Réserve Firenze opened in October 2026 as the first Italian address of the La Réserve collection.

Rediscovering the Renaissance

The restoration revealed architectural treasures that had disappeared behind decades of partitions and suspended ceilings. Elaborate frescoes, painted wooden ceilings, decorative plasterwork and extraordinary room proportions emerged, giving the designers an unusually rich historical canvas. Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier approached the interiors with characteristic restraint. Rather than recreating a Renaissance fantasy, they introduced a sophisticated contemporary layer of warm woods, softly textured plaster, pale fabrics and muted colours. Antique tapestries, sculptural furniture, historic portrait medallions and artworks collected by the Marcianos add a distinctly personal dimension. The result is an intriguing meeting of Italian architectural grandeur and French art de vivre. Original frescoes depicting cherubs and classical figures coexist with contemporary furnishings, while materials such as Tuscan pietra serena and Sienese travertine reinforce the building’s connection to Florence.

Six Apartments, No Ordinary Hotel Rooms

The six residences range from one to three bedrooms, each with generous living and dining spaces, fully equipped kitchens and individually designed interiors. No two apartments share the same architectural proportions or decorative details. Some bedrooms feature spectacular painted ceilings above four-poster beds, while bathrooms clad in warm travertine incorporate original frescoes, freestanding bathtubs and unexpectedly residential touches. The three-bedroom penthouse adds a rooftop terrace overlooking Florence and the surrounding hills. Throughout, the atmosphere is closer to a beautifully furnished private residence than a conventional luxury suite. Antique furniture and collected artworks sit alongside contemporary comforts, while carefully chosen books, textiles and decorative objects give the apartments a lived-in quality.

Hospitality Without the Hotel Formalities

La Réserve Firenze dispenses with many traditional hotel conventions. Breakfast is prepared and served privately in each apartment, at whatever time guests prefer. There is no restaurant, but room service comes through a partnership with nearby Trattoria Cammillo, a longstanding Florentine institution. Private chefs and local cooks can also be arranged. On the ground floor, a residential-style lounge, library, billiards room, self-service bar and leafy courtyard provide informal spaces to gather. There is also a well-equipped gym, although the property’s defining luxury lies less in its facilities than in the personalised service. The Marcianos remain closely involved, sharing their favourite restaurants, galleries, artisans and cultural addresses. Private museum visits, introductions to collectors and unusual experiences around Florence can be arranged, extending the idea of staying in someone’s exceptionally well-connected private home.

The Other Side of the Arno

The location is equally deliberate. Oltrarno, across the river from Florence’s most visited monuments, remains a neighbourhood of artisan workshops, antique dealers, independent restaurants and historic residences. Piazza Santo Spirito, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens are close by, while the Ponte Vecchio and the city’s celebrated museums are within easy walking distance. La Réserve Firenze offers a particularly appealing alternative to Florence’s grand hotels. Its Renaissance architecture is extraordinary, its interiors unmistakably sophisticated, and its hospitality deliberately intimate. More than another luxury address, it is an invitation to experience Florence as a temporary resident, with a rather magnificent palazzo to call home.