Il Salviatino, Fiesole, Italy

A serene retreat perched on a Fiesole hillside overlooking Florence’s Duomo, Il Salviatino has reclaimed its Renaissance-era glory days when the Salviati family’s 15th-century villa became a social hub for the local cognoscenti.

In the fall of 2009, Marcello Pigozzo and partners, who include his architect Luciano Columbo, opened the property following a two-year, $60-million restoration that preserves the intimate character of a private villa. Columbo appointed the 61 unique rooms and suites with art, antiques, marble fireplaces, mosaics, and authentic frescoes. The renovation revealed a number of surprises, including a hidden 18th-century frescoed ceiling, which crowns the Affresco suite with its marble sarcophagus bathtub. Columbo blended old-world grandeur with a glamorous, au courant vibe—from the imposing wood-paneled library fully stocked with countless volumes to the contemporary all-white greenhouse suites beneath the restored formal gardens. The property’s Devana spa practices restorative Far Eastern therapies, while the Grappolo culinary concept draws on Florentine traditions with a modern emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. Custom-made porcelain, cutlery, and genuine linen bedding speak to Il Salviatino’s extravagant attention to detail. Pigozzo’s unconventional service concept involves cross-training staff in various disciplines and designating a service ambassador to personally attend to your wishes both on site and off, should you manage to tear yourself away to explore the treasures of Florence.