Forte 16

I have come back once again to one of my favourite cities in Italy and this time I have my love in tow as he has been enviously wishing to accompany me for quite some time. At last we've made it and the winter light is setting it off to dazzling advantage as we drive from the airport and catch glimpses of stunning views of Florence lit by the sparkling sun. In order to have some independence and privacy we are staying at the Forte 16, an elegant alternative to the usual hotel, which offers apartments with their own kitchenette. I am quite excited to think of having my own little pied-a-terre here and am keen to see what awaits us when we arrive.

The taxi takes us to a quiet neighbourhood, set a little way back from the fray. Yet it is just minutes’ walk from the labyrinth of streets littered with museums, quaint cafés and gorgeous piazzas that is the heart of town. We are given a very kind, warm and typically Italian welcome and shown up to our suite. I am charmed by the fresh, cosmopolitan design of clean lines and modern chic that is infused with a hint of underplayed decadence. Parquet flooring underfoot and tall, wide windows letting in the splendid sun which lights our white walls and gleaming kitchen. This is a stylish affair of futuristic clear plastic bar stools, a glossy electric stove, a Nespresso machine, a slick fridge and a table with a complimentary bottle of red wine. The cabinets are painted a gay, turquoise blue that echoes the wall behind the vast king size bed as well as the brilliant sky outside. I can easily imagine us returning after a long day's adventures with groceries from a local market and trying our hand at cooking up a romantic supper for two with fresh pasta 'al dente'. The place is perfect! Clean, airy and sumptuously comfortable with all we could possibly need. We even discover that we happen to have a bathtub to soak in after our frosty winter wanderings and an impressive flat screen television to curl up and watch classic Italian movies in the evenings.

Once we have thoroughly inspected our lovely little home we make our way up and out onto the hotel's spectacular roof terrace. What a sight! The shimmering panorama of this breathtaking city spreads out before us, just waiting for us to dive in and discover all the hidden jewels tucked away here. No matter how many times I wander its medieval streets and marvel at its ancient architecture and abundance of gorgeous artefacts, I am still inevitably taken by surprise. This is largely thanks to the mighty Médici family, powerful patrons of the arts and sciences in the Renaissance period, which have left their ethereal mark on every flourish and corner of the city. I find their story all the more fascinating as I consider how this banking dynasty used their vast wealth and influence to take Florence under their wing and encourage art and humanism to blossom. In many ways time has stood still here. The overwhelming abundance of brilliant creation, painting, buildings, statues and gardens that make up the magnificent city remain vividly intact, it is one huge UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet this is no empty, echoing museum, it is seething with life, with stories, with layers and layers of history weaving into each other and all tinted with that unmistakable Italian spirit.

I am still gazing out at the fabulous view, lost in thought, when I am brought back to the present with a gentle nudge. It is my love, who has whisked down to our room for the bottle of red and a couple of elegant, large wine glasses to drink up here, with Florence at our feet. We toast in the setting sun – to our little cosy pad in the stunning city of Florence and to our marvellous hosts at the Forte 16!