Villa Villoresi is more than just a hotel: it's a villa-hotel, retaining the charm and elegance of the noble Tuscan country villas and offering a traditionally warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Originally a twelfth century fortress built just outside Florence for the defence of the city, the Villa was transformed into a country residence during the Renaissance. It was enlarged and decorated with works of art, and a beautiful flower garden was laid out and planted with lemon and wild orange trees. Today most of the surviving features of the villa date from this period, including the Loggia, which is the longest terrace in Tuscany, offering views over the garden and the pool.
The villa, registered as a National Monument because of its historical and artistic importance, still contains original frescoes, décor and furnishings, recalling the decorative tastes of the different owners and the fashions of their times. Here history and family events mingle with local legends. One story recounts that Dante's wife, Gemma Donati, was received at the villa when the poet first went into exile.
By the beginning of the nineteenth-century, the villa was the summer residence of the Villoresi family. In the 1960's, Luigi and Clarissa Villoresi decided to turn the villa into a hotel, carefully adding modern services and comforts while retaining the unique and historic atmosphere.
Villa Villoresi's position, midway between Florence and Prato, and just two miles from the motorway, make it a convenient base for excursions all over Tuscany, a handy meeting point, and an ideal destination for people who love relaxation and good cuisine!