A Breath of Art and the Luxury of Living Florence
There is always a good opportunity to go to the Tuscan capital, but the unique Beato Angelico exhibition should not be missed.
Blessed are those who go, and blessed are those who can enjoy the city, beyond the moving exhibition. Beato Angelico awaits you at Palazzo Strozzi (and at the Museo di San Marco): an unrepeatable exhibition for the quality and quantity of loans, a unique opportunity to see a host of masterpieces by one of the symbols of Italian art in just a few rooms. Of course, there is one problem: the crowds. We are not the only ones travelling for art, but for once do not get impatient for too many visitors: the exhibition is worth the tour, and indeed, the repetition: I am on my third. Until 26 January, therefore, make sure you happen to be in Florence: the embrace of solemn and contemporary art, and then the cuisine, cocktails and exceptional hospitality are irresistible lure.
The fact that the contemporary had to somehow respond "present" to the overwhelming presence of Beato Angelico (and his associates: there are also other great masters in the exhibition) was also taken into account by the director Arturo Galansino who, in the freely accessible courtyard of the palazzo, promoted the installation by KAWS, a contemporary artist known for his iconic visual language that challenges artistic categories. Whatever one thinks, the important thing is to continue the Florentine tour of excellence.
Exhibitions and good food
And on the theme of the contemporary that must and can coexist with the classic, here is an excellent example, a glorious hotel just across the street from the Beato; the excellent Helvetia & Bristol, the flagship name of Starhotels Collezione. Masterly renovation, new rooms and suites with Anouska Hempel's signature, the underground spa (the largest in the city centre), the fantastic winter garden where the futurists used to meet (this was the city's first luxury hotel) and nowadays breakfast is served. The staff is perfect and the skill of the Florentine artisans who have sewn tradition and innovation into the rooms reinforces the link with the territory; the food is signed Cibrèo in two spaces, one more formal, the other bistrot. A name that has always convinced our gastronaut Davide Paolini, to whom we refer with his new book I ristoranti da non perdere Firenze (The restaurants not to miss in Florence) to go to town.
Art and sweet dreams
Art and hospitality are also the link that the hotels in the Lungarno Collection are aiming for. Until May 2026, the Gallery Hotel Art welcomes Argentinian artist Daniel González, with the recently inaugurated exhibition 'The Invented Reality', curated by Valentina Ciarallo. There are 26 works for the hotel's 26th anniversary: the artist uses mylar, the film that was all the rage in the 1980s, and stitches it minutely onto canvases that suggest keywords to be reconsidered. Lightness, celebration, encounter: in the silent yet bewitching rustle of the threads, in their iridescent and flamboyant colours, the artist performs a rite of celebration in which the spectator is invited to go beyond the ease of the message, in the brilliance lies depth. On the other side of the bridge, then, the romantic Hotel Lungarno awaits you with its collection of works. A watercolour by Picasso, and I quote only this one, above the fireplace in the bar (conceived almost as a boat sailing on the river) kindles the desire for the next cocktail while the thousand little lights and the magical atmosphere of Florence allow us too to call ourselves blessed among travellers. And to already plan our return...
