Ex military school in Florence to become luxury resort by gallerist family

The Lowenstein family, owners of the Diana Lowenstein Gallery in Miami, plans to transform the former Scuola di Sanità Militare Caserma Vittorio Veneto in Florence into a luxury hospitality complex. The property, abandoned for two decades, spans 9,000 square meters of covered space and 21,000 square meters of outdoor areas, adjacent to the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti. Originally dating to the year 1000, the complex was formed by merging two ancient convents and served as a military health school until 1998. The project aims to offer an experiential, high-end lodging experience. Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year, pending a zoning variance proposal to be submitted to the city in the coming months. The initiative has drawn criticism for its perceived elitism. In April 2016, Ponte Vecchio Spa held an international competition for the area's masterplan, with three winning proposals: "Nel luogo sognato" by 5+1AA (Alfonso Femia, Gianluca Peluffo, Simonetta Cenci), a project by Consorzio Caire, and one by a team including Sinergo (G. Macola, R. D'Agostino, A. Muffato) and Sistema (F. Sbetti).