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city breaksWHERE TO STAYFor further information and reservations,please visit www.SummitHotels.comGRAND HOTEL BAGLIONIHigh wooden ceilings, stonestaircases and originallead-pane windows area hallmark of this four-starbeauty, blessed with alovely rooftop gardenand restaurant withpanoramic views.GRAND HOTEL MINERVASet on a picturesque piazzain the heart of the city, thisfour-star retreat is justminutes away from all thekey monuments and mainshopping areas, and hasfabulous views from itsrooftop pool.HOTEL ALBANI FIRENZEThis refined stately hotelis housed in an impeccablyrestored early 20th-centurytownhouse, with 102handsome guestrooms,all elegantly decorated inclassic Florentine style.Based in a central location.PLAZA HOTEL LUCCHESIAcres of marble, lashings ofpolished mahogany andmasses of fresh flowerscreate an intimate, luxuriousfeel at this palazzo-stylehideaway on the banks ofthe River Arno. Guestroomsoverlook historic city sights.Masterpieces in FlorenceStand in the narrow cortile (inner courtyard) dividing thewings of the Uffizi Gallery, and you can appreciate thebrilliance of employing an architect who was also a greatpainter – Giorgio Vasari’s mastery of perspective still drawsthe entranced gaze along the sweep of Doric columns tothe River Arno as irresistibly as it did on the gallery’s16th-century opening day.But even a Renaissance achiever like Vasari is B-listin a town where local boy Michelangelo has to battle forattention with Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Titian,Raphael and a host of other A-list old masters across60-plus historic galleries. There may be contemporary artshowcases here, such as EX3, but making time for those islike ordering lager in a champagne bar just because it’s alsogot a bit of fizz.There are Michelangelo masterpieces in several ofFlorence’s galleries, but Galleria dell’Accademia has thebig-ticket item – the most famous David between theBiblical one and Beckham. This once stood out in the Piazzadella Signoria (a replica now stands there instead), beforebeing brought indoors in the 1870s for safe preservation.In a city so filled with medieval and Renaissancewonders, it can be hard to focus. Pick a theme and createa trail. You want frescoes? Kick off at the Ospedale degliInnocenti gallery for 14th- to 18th-century beauties, thengo Gothic in the cloisters of Santa Maria Novella – alsoa place of blessed cool in the summer heat.Or marvel at the legacies of two English collectors whocame to live under the Tuscan sun. When Herbert PercyHorne died in 1916, he bequeathed the city his palazzo onVia de’ Benci, along with a collection of art, ceramics andhousehold items of the period. And Frederick Stibbert lefta brilliant museum showcasing 36,000 artefacts in astupendous villa on the street that bears his name. It’sas beguiling as anything in the Uffizi Gallery.FOR FOODIESRESTAURANT ALLE MURATE Inside the Palace of the Art of Judgesand Notaries, Giovanna Iorio delivers powerful flavours combiningclassical and ‘nouvelle’ in a frescoed dining room that is partrestaurant, part museum.Via del Proconsolo 16, FlorenceTel: +39 055 240618 www.allemurate.itCANTINA BARBAGIANNI This warmly painted spot is good for thecity’s signature Bistecca alla Fiorentina plus creative takes on otherTuscan classics, and excellent prices.Via Sant’Egidio 13, FlorenceTel: + 39 055 248 0508 www.cantinabarbagianni.italamy, CorbisClockwise from left: The interior of FlorenceCathedral's Brunelleschi Dome, or Il Duomo;the ornate church façade of 15th-centurySanta Maria Novella; alluring perfume isavailable to buy from Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria NovellaLA BOTTEGA DI ROSA Stylish ambience, friendly professional serviceand inventive use of ingredients, such as smoked eel and goose.Excellent wines, too.Via del Campidoglio 8, FlorenceTel: +39 055 267 0423 www.labottegadirosa.itFOR SHOPAHOLICSDesigner stores cluster on Via de’ Tornabuoni, but artisan workshopsoffer more distinctive possibilities. For sweet memories, sniff outhistoric perfumes and soaps at the 13th-century Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (Via della Scala 16, www.santamarianovella.com.br) or perfumes and powders at LorenzoVilloresi’s 15th-century Atelier (Via de’ Bardi 14, www.lorenzovilloresi.it).volume THIRTEEN Summit 53