Elegance and Aroma: Sensory Escapades in the Heart of Florence

“Italy was offering her the most priceless of all possessions—her own soul.”
― E.M. Forster, A Room with a View

My heart drops when I hear people refer to parts of Florence or to Florence itself as “touristy.” As if the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi are Disneyland attractions built and sustained to entertain and excite swarms of tourists with selfie sticks and nothing more. As if the Renaissance is something that existed only 500 years ago and lives now only in history books with no real value in the here and the now.

These museums, these streets, the ideas, art, and energy of the Renaissance and of Florence itself are living and breathing things. They live in the witnesses with eyes and hearts to see.

It is easy to romanticize Florence and like all things we romanticize, under the harsh light of day that romanticizing can give way to disappointment and frustration. But Florence isn’t merely pretty or merely romantic. Like love, she is saltier and far more interesting than mere romance.

Florence is a woman. She is a woman with stone hips. She is overly ripe fruits sold in a stall and smoke-filled streets, she is infuriating and wondrous. She is no one night stand but a lover to tumble with, to reconcile with, to contend with. She is a gilded lily, a powdery iris, she is steeped in violet light and sultry red wine.

She didn’t birth the Renaissance she is the renaissance.

Modern Florence is a tapestry of ancient and modern opulence, of artistry, fashion, and music. The city has a rich fragrance history as the birthplace not of perfume but of the perfumery. Today the city boasts some of the most innovative and intriguing perfumers in the world.

It’s a city of culinary and gastronomic delights. Florence’s rich culinary history dates back to at least the 1600s. The gastronomical adventures of Florence are well documented in old texts, dishes like torta di funghi, torta balconata, ova affritellate alla Medici, zonclada, and trionfi di tavola among other well documented dishes.

Today Florence is of course most known for bistecca all fiorentina, a thick piece of the famous Chianina beef, weighing a minimum of 1 kilo, grilled over charcoal, and served al sangue (bloody).

Florence has far more to offer than perfectly charred steaks; today you will find Michelin Star restaurants, decadent yet simple street food, and everything in between.

I never tire of wandering Florence and I am always surprised that even in peak tourist season I can still manage to find quiet streets inhabited only by Florentines and gloriously shaded and silent.

I tend to avoid Florence in July and August. I prefer January and February when the lines are gone and I don’t need a reservation to dine at my favorite places. But this year I sought out an urban retreat at the Hotel La Gemma, a gorgeous luxury hotel in the heart of Florence. I spent the weekend resting, dining, and indulging without walking down a single busy street. It was a weekend of slow living and slow travel and was total respite from the heat and bustle of tourist season.

An Urban Retreat

I arrived in Florence from Sicily on a sweltering almost 40 degree (100 degree) July day to spend the weekend at the stunning Hotel La Gemma in the heart of Florence. My agenda was simple: to curate an urban retreat for one, to savor a weekend of sensory explorations, to indulge in their world class spa, to eat very well, and to be in good company.

The Hotel La Gemma did not disappoint. The 5 star hotel is Florentine opulence at its finest. It’s a perfect weaving of classic Italian luxury and style with a modern, homey atmosphere that feels like a warm embrace.

The soothing green tones throughout the hotel evoke a feeling of revival and nurturance. The rooms are glorious with luxury bedding and towels, a robe I didn’t want to take off, and loving details like a book shelf boasting the works of Donatello and luxury timeless fashion designers.

The private wine cellar in my room was a treasure chest of gorgeous franciacorta and rich chianti classico. I was traveling alone so I did not take advantage of the wine offerings in my room but I was delighted by the selections showcasing the best of Italy from rich barolos to crisp sparkling rosès.

I had booked a reservation at the Hotel La Gemma’s in house restaurant Luca’s for the following night so I escaped to a favorite Florentine haunt for my first night Il Santo Bevitore. Located near Santo Spirito. It is a personal favorite I never tire of.

Il Santo Bevitore’s wood paneled walls and endless wine bottles, candle lit dining room, and intriguing menu has me returning again and again. The food and service is exceptional. And when I’m away too long I dream about their savory unusual dishes.

I chose the handmade riccioli pasta with spicy nduja and aged pecorino and the black cabbage flan. For something sweet the mascarpone and strawberries. I was delightfully but not overly full and savored my 15 minute walk back to La Gemma for a night of perfect rest.

Crossing the Arno and watching lovers and dazed, slightly drunken youth under the sultry summer moonlight was a joy.

I was really excited for the hotel’s breakfast curated by Luca’s Restaurant.

Living in Italy I have to admit I miss the salty breakfasts I love. Italians generally enjoy a brioche or a cornetto with their morning coffee and while I love a pastry I am partial to eggs benedict and french omelettes.

I was overjoyed to see eggs benedict on the breakfast menu. It remains a personal favorite and it met all of my expectations. The hollandaise was the perfect texture and had just the right amount of citrus bite.

Fresh berries, a perfect cappuccino, spremuta d’arancia (fresh orange juice), and a plate of pastries completed my dining experience. The breakfast was served in a gorgeous sort of open air nook that had an air of 1920s elegance I found swoon worthy.

I enjoyed my breakfast so much that I repeated the meal on my departure day. I needed that benedict one more time.

After breakfast I headed to La Gemma’s luxury spa Allure for a 2 hour facial followed by an hour of soaking in the jacuzzi, languishing in the dry sauna, and luxuriating in the hammam with ice and cold showers in between each cycle.

The Allure Spa features products by Biologique Recherche a French luxury skincare company with personalized treatments for radiant skin.

My facialist was a thoughtful, kind, and expert skin care professional. She took time to analyze my skin and to take an in-depth history of my concerns so she could create a custom treatment plan for just for me. After two hours in her expert care my skin had truly never looked better. It is almost a week later and my skin is still radiant. And I’ve been asked twice if I had botox recently. So color me impressed.

I left with several products to incorporate into my skin care routine and I am in love.

I spent my afternoon once again across the river Arno at my favorite luxury perfumery Sileno Cheloni. I had an appointment to curate my latest fragrance for my upcoming fall Tuscany retreat The Mythic Heart. My retreats are anchored in sensory experience and each retreat features a custom made fragrance that embodies the season, place, plants, and history of the retreat location.

My newest creation will now sit for 3 weeks allowing the citrus, leather, summer roses, and wood to coalesce before we do a final testing to prepare the bottles for my guests.

This creative sensory act was the perfect way to spend my afternoon before my aperitivo and dinner at Luca’s Restaurant with a friend in the city.

After an afternoon nap at La Gemma I ventured to Luca’s Bar for an aperitivo with a friend. In summer I love a crisp gin cocktail. La Gemma offers seasonal cocktails using fresh ingredients and their mixologists are creative and a total delight to chat with. I chose a sparkling cocktail with gin, fresh herbs, and topped with franciacorta (my favorite).

We paired our cocktails with a few small tapas from the bar menu including of course Tuscan Crostini which was some of the best I’ve had. It was light, flavorful, and well balanced.

When night fell we headed upstairs to Luca’s Restaurant after the heat of the day had lifted for a chef’s selection 6 course dinner with wine accompaniments that I am still dreaming of. Luca’s is overseen by Michelin-starred chef Paulo Airaudo.

The amuse bouche was a delicate lemongrass broth in a heavy cast iron cup that was all at once refreshing and soothing and a mortadella “gelato” served with burrata and tomato tartlet.

Our first official course was a sgombro, rapa, acqua di pomodoro e ume kosho. Mackerel, delicately sliced turnip, a tomato water bursting with flavor, and ume kosho which added texture and crunch.

The second course of the night was a cappelletti di piccione or pigeon with cappelletti pasta. The pasta was so delicate it was almost translucent and it melted on the tongue. It was utterly heavenly. The flavors were complex and while I’m very good at identifying ingredients I have to admit I was a little stumped. This course was my favorite of the night.

Following our primi was a secondi of pigeon, a small charred onion with a glorious sauce held like a little cup, a maitake mushroom that looked like a beautiful flower on the plate, and a savory sauce that was otherworldly.

And for dessert a flan di formaggio di capra e patata dolce, goat cheese flan with sweet potato. It was the perfect slightly pungent aromatic dessert to follow the other dishes.

We of course finished with petit fours, limoncello, and espresso.

The service was impeccable, the fresh bread the perfect amount of crunchy exterior and tender warm middle. The olive oil was fragrant and luscious.

The entire experience left me deeply satisfied. Some meals feed far more than your body and this was one of them.

This was poetry and soul stuff.

La Gemma is truly an unforgettable experience. Every detail is attended to with so much care. The design, the music, the fragrance, the choice of products, the books on the shelves, the herbs at the bar. This isn’t only a hotel. It’s a hotel that tells a story. It’s a luxury offering that wraps you in a full sensory experience.

There’s hotels you stay at as a location strictly for exploring a city and there are hotels you stay at simply for the experience. La Gemma is both. I was wildly content to stay in the hotel luxuriating in the experience and gleefully returned to its embrace after my outings in the city.

Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it is one of the most complex, and it deserves a hotel to match its these qualities. La Gemma is it.

This weekend was a full sensory immersion that nourished the whole of me.

Florence is a city of endless secrets and contradictions and has once again surprised and delighted me.

About La Gemma

La Gemma is the creation of the Cecchi siblings, who formed the hotel's name, La Gemma, using the initials of their names Ginevra, Edoardo, Massimiliano, Maria Sole, Andrea, and their parents, Luca and Alessandra (with "La" representing their parents' names). The restaurant is named after the late patriarch of the family. The familial love and care is present in the hotel offering a homey atmosphere that is often lacking in large hotels. For me La Gemma is perfection.

To book your urban retreat in Florence contact The Italianist for your bespoke getaway.