Romance, Magic and History… With Kids: Villa San Michele Florence

Villa San Michele began life in the 15th century as a Franciscan monastery, featuring a stunning façade design attributed to Michelangelo. Today it is one of Europe’s most beautiful and iconic hotels. Featuring unmatched panoramic views high above Florence and the Arno Valley, along with a world-class fresco restaurant and manicured Italian gardens, it is easy to see why most guests refer to it as heaven on earth.

We had a little trouble getting to heaven. Thanks to a self-inflicted typo in our GPS, we drove to a similarly named street several kilometres away which led us up the garden path – quite literally. The roads became so narrow we couldn’t fit the car through them.  But after repenting of our navigation sins, we finally made it to the pearly gates of Villa San Michele.

From the moment we entered the long driveway, lined with trees and lush sculptured shrubs, and welcomed by friendly, attentive staff, our entire stay at the hotel was nothing short of magical. After a welcome drink and snack in the lush garden with Patricia the Guest Relations Manager, we made our way to our room.

Sweet suite

The elegantly decorated suite featured the conveniences that you would expect from a luxury hotel. But it was the trimmings for the kids that really made it stand out. Mia and Caius were given cute t-shirts and a stuffed toy lion to match the mascot of the kids club, and to match mummy and daddy, they had their own kid-sized slippers and bathrobes. So cute!

The motorised recessed television was neatly stored in the end of the master bed and could be summoned with a press of a button. But the bathroom was definitely the showstopper for the adults. Featuring double marble vanities and an enormous walk-in shower room, it was the largest I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world.

Smiles all round in the Smile Club

Villa San Michele really captured our attention as they cater for families with a daily kids program called the Smile Club. Running from 10:30am to 5:30pm for 4-12 year olds, it is perfect for parents who desire a little kid-free quiet time or to take a romantic day trip around Florence. Mia and Caius absolutely loved it. The crafts, games, activities and entertainment for the kids were very well-planned. The old chapel was recently renovated and repurposed into the kids club, giving parents more options when they stayed at the hotel.

The hotel also offers cooking classes, called Young Chefs Academy, for children 6-14 years upon request, which looked like a lot of fun. And more options are available upon request like a catered family picnic.

The first thing we typically research in each new location we visit is a list of fun activities to do with kids. And to make our life even easier, Villa San Michele provided a handy booklet explaining a wide range of fun outings for kids around Florence. In addition, the hotel can organize personalised tours and family-friendly excursions to local attractions such as a chocolate workshop or ice-cream factory through their kid concierge. The options are almost endless.

Food, glorious food

Breakfast was served each morning in The Loggia Restaurant, situated on a terrace overlooking Florence. Along with a buffet spread of fresh fruit, cold meats, pastries, yogurts, juices and cereals, a hot breakfast could be ordered from the menu. One of the tables used for the buffet was originally used as the breakfast table for Franciscan monks over 600 years ago.

On our first night at the hotel, we booked in a dinner reservation at the restaurant. Not only is it popular with hotel guests, but we also noticed diners from all around Florence, including locals. It’s the perfect location for a romantic dinner, with a backdrop of the sun setting over Florence, soft live piano music and fine food.

Towards the end of dinner the kids were getting tired, so we retreated to our room and organized to have the irresistible dessert delivered. I really couldn’t call it a dessert; a more accurate description would be a work of art. Not only was it exquisite on the plate, but on the palette as well.

Out and about

A convenient complimentary shuttle operated by the hotel transports guests to the centre of Florence and back on a regular basis. We used this on a couple occasions, which was very handy, as driving in Italy for the uninitiated can be daunting and parking in Florence can be hard to find. Florence was home to illustrious Renaissance icons Michelangelo and Galileo, and features world-renowned art galleries and museums. And all of it is within reach from the hotel, less than 20 minutes away. Once in town it was easiest to get around by foot and with smooth, flat paving pushing a pram around was a breeze. See our post about Florence for more details about what we got up to.

On our 2nd evening at the hotel we organized a babysitter to look after the kids for a few hours so we could enjoy a kid-free dinner in Florence. The helpful concierge made all the arrangements for the sitter and she arrived early, fully prepared, and with a bag of toys and games. She was friendly, professional, and connected well with our kids. We don’t often use babysitters as we travel, so this was a rare treat. But even better, when we returned, the kids couldn’t stop raving about their babysitter. They even asked for her to come back another time.

Chillin In Style

A luxury hotel would not be complete without a lavish swimming pool. In this case, an outdoor heated pool overlooks the terraced garden and scenic Arno Valley. Mia and Caius had a ball and we almost had to drag them away when it was time for lunch.

Every aspect of Villa San Michelle expresses it’s timeless class imbued in rich history, from the fine furnishings to the restored paintings.

Beautifully restored frieze of The Last Supper originally painted by Nicodemo Ferrucci in 1602

Matching these qualities with family friendly facilities truly makes this hotel a distinctive amalgamation that both parents and children love. The only problem with the hotel is that we eventually had to descend back to earth and continue on our journey. Perhaps one day we’ll be ascended into heaven on earth again.

Spectacular Sunrise Photography Tour of Matera, Italy

It was after our rather disappointing discoveries in Pompeii that we followed Erin’s parents blindly to the next overnight spot they had chosen, Matera. Parking in the small town was a mission, but we found a carpark and started our walk through the scenic town square towards our cave hotel (our first cave hotel in Turkey is still the most amazing underground place we have stayed). Despite having no expectations or knowledge on the region, we could see there was something uniquely beautiful about Matera.

The architecture and style reflected the rich history. Founded in the 3rd century BC, it has been conquered numerous times, survived devastating earthquakes and endured political turmoil.

Filmmakers have also used it as a setting for ancient Jerusalem, including Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ.

The Matera Cathedral, built over 4 years starting in 1268, dominates the skyline of the old city, “Sassi di Matera” (meaning “stones of Matera”). It is easy to appreciate the magnificent churches, rock-carved houses, frescoes, sculptures, and ancient cisterns. The atmosphere in the evening we arrived was surreal - still air, clear sky and almost no sound emanating from the old town. The closely packed carved stone houses create a natural sound absorbing effect.

Matera is a more common holiday destination for Italians, and relatively few foreigners visit because it’s more out of the way than the popular tourist destinations of Rome, Venice, Florence and Sorrento. So we found the language barrier was noticeable, but fortunately the manager at our hotel could speak English fairly well.

Come for a sunrise walk with me

Rather than a regular blog post about what we got up to, I wanted to do something completely different which better reflected the atmosphere of this town. We were only stopping for 1 night and my father-in-law suggested doing a sunrise photography walking tour with him the following morning, which sounded like a great idea. My alarm awoke me at 5:30am, a much earlier-than-usual start for me, but I wanted to capture the beautiful sunrise light.

We planned on using our walkie talkies to find each other and rendezvous, but unfortunately the thick stone walls of the town blocked our signal so I wasn’t able to find my fellow photography enthusiast. So I started the walk around the old town by myself and captured shots along the way. The narrow, winding walkways were a maze, but it was fun getting lost amongst the stunning buildings. The streets felt eerily deserted. There were no sounds, stirrings or signs of life. The town was fast asleep.

So come along with me for a virtual walking photography tour through Matera at sunrise.

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Most of the houses and hotels could only be accessed via foot. At the bottom of the valley a narrow cobblestone street separated the two sides of the old town and provided the only vehicle access to the basin.

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The ascending pathways crisscrossed like a labyrinth and I used sheer luck to make my way up to the top of the eastern side of the valley. Most of the houses on this half of town were abandoned, although there were some signs of life.

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As the sun started to rise, a warm glow filled the valley. From my vantage point at the base of the Matera Cathedral I finally made contact with Brian as the walkie talkie picked up a direct line of sight with him across the valley. We decided to continue the walking tour separately and I made my way down the eastern side of the hill behind the cathedral.

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As the time went by more residents were quietly waking up and the delicious aroma of cooked breakfasts and fresh tea wafted down the alleyways, tempting the senses.

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A deep valley created a natural barrier to the east of town and I followed along it to reach a magnificent church perched on a steep cliff. Such a beautiful view.

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Now that the sun was getting higher in the sky I started seeing people leaving their homes, getting out and about, so it was time to make the trek back to my family and get ready for breakfast.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour through the unique and spectacularly scenic town of Matera. When you next visit Italy, I highly recommend that you take a walk yourself at sunrise through Matera. Even if you’re not a "morning person", I’m sure you’ll agree it’s well worth the effort.