Florence has no shortage of hotels, but Palazzo Ruspoli, opening on 1 August, is something different: a private residential retreat rather than a conventional place to stay, tucked inside a historic building in the city’s historic centre.
The palazzo as it stands today dates from the late nineteenth century, but the ground it occupies carries a far older story. This was once the site of the canonry of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, anchoring the building to the very roots of the Renaissance, long before its current walls were built.
Restoring character, not erasing it
Architect Luigi Fragola led the restoration with a clear philosophy: preserve rather than overwrite. The nineteenth century identity of the building remains intact, but its original materials and atmosphere have been brought back into focus. The result is a residence of 12 rooms and suites plus 3 independent apartments, each with a different outlook, some onto Via de’ Martelli, others onto quiet internal courtyards or unexpected views of the city. The suites stand out for one detail in particular: a direct line of sight to Brunelleschi’s Dome.
The three apartments vary in size and configuration, with the largest reaching around 200 square metres. Rather than functioning as oversized hotel rooms, they’ve been designed to feel like genuine homes, pairing contemporary comforts with the character of a centuries old setting, an approach aimed at guests who want to actually live in Florence, even briefly, rather than simply pass through it.
The terrace as the residence’s quiet centrepiece
If there’s one space that defines Palazzo Ruspoli, it’s the panoramic terrace. Positioned just metres from the Duomo, it offers a rare, elevated perspective on a city usually experienced from street level. It’s a spot built for stillness: private moments, unhurried mornings, or simply a break from the density of tourist Florence below.
Hospitality here leans personal rather than programmatic. Breakfast is continental, served in room, with an à la carte option available on each guest’s own schedule. A 24/7 concierge completes the picture, arranging private access to landmarks central to the city’s history, as well as introductions to the artisans, young artists and makers who still choose Florence as a place to work and create, and to the workshops and markets that have so far resisted being swallowed by mass tourism.
