Villa Cora

Character and identity

Set on a leafy avenue south of the Arno, just above Porta Romana and a free shuttle ride from the centre, Villa Cora is a 19th-century aristocratic pile built for Baron Oppenheim and later owned by Empress Eugénie. The 46 rooms spread across the main villa, an old stable block and the secluded Le Follie gatehouse, with piano nobile suites under frescoed ceilings and rose-scented Santa Maria Novella amenities throughout. Le Bistrot moves between a Moorish dining room and the poolside, while the rooftop Bellevue terrace and Santa Garden Cocktail Club draw well-heeled Florentines on summer nights. The subterranean BENé spa handles eastern and western massage protocols.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pitch here is aristocratic Florence at one remove: opulent period interiors, a serious garden and pool, and a address that locals rate but tourists rarely think of first. Book a piano nobile suite if you want the full frescoed-ceiling experience; come in summer for the pool and rooftop, or target a winter Sunday brunch (reserve weeks ahead).