Belmond Hotels Combine Luxury with Local Artisanship in Florence

The Belmond hotel chain, formerly Orient Express and now part of LVMH, has launched a program at its Villa San Michele in Fiesole, Florence, that goes beyond typical art exhibitions to offer guests curated visits to local artisan workshops. While Belmond hotels like the Cipriani in Venice and Villa San Michele host seasonal photography exhibitions—this year featuring Terry O'Neill in Venice and Massimo Listri in Florence—the Villa San Michele distinguishes itself with an 'edutainment' service that connects guests with authentic Florentine craftspeople. Visitors can visit Paolo Carandini's box-making workshop, Antonio Gatto's hat studio near Palazzo Pitti, and young goldsmith Cristiano Pierazzuoli. Carandini notes that such initiatives provide 'oxygen' for the surviving artisan fabric, bringing clients with significant spending power. The exhibitions at Villa San Michele, curated by Mark Robinow of Artology gallery in Munich, display Listri's large-format photographs of interiors from Versailles, the Royal Palace of Caserta, and Palazzo Vecchio. This approach redefines luxury for the 2020s by involving the local community and offering unique, non-standardized experiences.