Elite Traveler May-June 2018

elite traveler MAY/JUNE 2018 125

ARTISANAL MUSTS

THE TAILOR-MADE ITALIAN SUIT Stefano Ricci

Florence serves as the birthplace of both the man and the brand that is Stefano Ricci. Inside Palazzo Tornabuoni, the 15th-century palace and former home of Alessandro Ottaviano de’ Medici, who became Pope Leo XI, sits this luxe two-story flagship. A 500-year-old fresco runs along the top of the walls, between a restored 19th-century stained-glass ceiling and a hand-polished travertine floor. Where better to lounge and select fabrics for a bespoke suit than in an orange crocodile armchair? Although only available to men, this experience includes a series of two fittings over the course of eight weeks (the master tailor can travel to you for the second fitting). Dubbed the ‘perfumer’s ritual,’ crafting a signature scent with AquaFlor’s nose, Sileno Cheloni, often begins over a cup of tea. Amaster perfumer, Cheloni looks to blend memory with emotion, evoking moments via scent. His version of a perfumer’s organ, arranged much like the piped instrument fromwhich its name originates, is stocked with hundreds of perfectly positioned, alphabetically organized glass bottles filled with essential oils, aromas and alcohols like Iralia, Ethyl Linalool and Metilionone. It takes filtering through more than 1,500 single scents, and a dynamic back-and-forth between perfumer and wearer, to create the perfect blend. Although it’s possible to create your scent in a single visit, AquaFlor has many customers who book several sessions with Cheloni to complete their signature fragrance. Once finished, it is filed in the cellar and can be reordered evermore. florenceparfum.com THE COMMISSIONED CENTERPIECE Scarpelli Mosaici The Florentine pietra dura mosaic tradition — creating decorative artworks of intricate stone inlay — dates back to the Renaissance. Whether matching tones of granite, quartzite, malachite and lapis lazuli, or filing and shaping pieces to fit perfectly into a particular design, Renzo Scarpelli and his coterie of artisans keep the tradition, along with its hand-bent tools, alive. The craftsmen spend anywhere from a few months to a few years on each piece, among them exquisite friezes, tabletops and brooches. Available for commissions and private tours, the workshop is open daily. scarpellimosaici.it From $12,400, stefanoricci.com THE PERSONALIZED PERFUME AquaFlor

TAKE THREE/// TOP SUITES

From top: Florence is the birthplace of the man

1. BOTTEGAVENETA SUITE The St. Regis Florence

and the brand, Stefano Ricci; AquaFlor’s nose,

Understated yet instantly recognizable, the Bottega Veneta intrecciato weave entwines seamlessly with the decor in the brand’s namesake suite at the St. Regis. Designed by Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier, the second-floor suite’s neutral palette and tastefully minimal aesthetic is accented with custom-dyed New Zealand–wool carpets as well as intrecciato nappa leather frames and a bespoke television console and minibar. Throughout the hotel, commissioned works by Florentine artisans, from the individually planed chestnut floorboards to the paisley burned-leather panels in the elevator, add to its charm. From $9,926 per night. Contact Judith Otto, director of sales &marketing, judith.otto@marriott.com, +39 055 2716 3716, stregisflorence.com 2. ROYAL SUITE Four Seasons Florence The intricate and stunning 17th-century frescoes adorning every room of the Royal Suite could have guests opting out of some local museums in favor of simply gazing up in the comfort of their 2,500-sq-ft suite. Located in the nobles’ quarters of the Palazzo della Gherardesca, the Royal Suite is the most ancient part of the palazzo and boasts an original Capodimonte Maioliche–style tile floor designed by Ignazio Chiaiese. Soak in the freestanding marble bathtub or drink in the lush greens of the hotel’s 11-acre park, the Giardino della Gherardesca. From $19,231 per night. Contact Chiara della Bosca, sales manager,chiara.dellabosca@fourseasons.com, +39 055 262 6236, fourseasons.com/florence 3. PORTRAIT PENTHOUSE FLOOR Hotel Lungarno Extending ever so slightly over the Arno River, with unparalleled views of the Ponte Vecchio, the intimate Hotel Lungarno is the flagship property of the Ferragamo family’s Lungarno Collection. A trio of Jean Cocteau artworks greet guests upon check-in, with Picassos and Buenos sprinkled throughout, and a cream-and-deep- blue color palette extends up the quaint spiral staircase and into Lungarno’s 65 rooms. The family completed a six-month renovation of the 16th-century residence last summer; now the entire top level can be transformed into one sprawling suite called the Portrait Penthouse Floor. Featuring five bedrooms, six bathrooms and four lounge-dining areas as well as a full-facade river-view terrace, the suite can house up to 10. From $11,235 per night. Contact Laura Zuccherofino,reservations manager,l.zuccherofino@ lungarnocollection.com, +39 055 2726 4000, lungarnocollection.com

Sileno Cheloni, blends memory and emotion via scent; Scarpelli Mosaici keep the Florentine mosaic tradition alive

THE BESPOKE BOUNDBOOK Il Papiro

Employing a 17th-century marbleizing technique, Il Papiro’s artisan workshops continue to keep the traditional Pavoni, Marmi and Dripped motifs alive. Private marbling sessions allow visitors to understand, then try the techniques under the watchful eye and deft hand of a papermaker. Moving into the bookbinding laboratory once the paper dries, guests can paint their creation onto a folder, frame or book, producing an exclusive object with a singular design. ilpapirofirenze.com

Photos Shutterstock.com, Studio Bonon Photography