Collegio alla Querce Auberge, Florence, Italy

Posted in Projects on 1 June, 2025

A former school turned hilltop haven, offering sweeping views and immersive Tuscan experiences.

Named after the historic oaks that shade its original tiered gardens, this 16th-century property rests on a hillside in Florence, offering unrivalled views of the city’s UNESCO-celebrated historic centre. Tucked down a cypress-lined drive, the hotel blends the charm of a timeless urban retreat with the tranquillity of a Tuscan country estate. To the south, are sweeping views of the Renaissance city’s architectural wonders, and to the north and east, are breath-taking vistas of Tuscany’s rolling hills.

Collegio alla Querce Auberge was a centre of learning for more than 100 years. From 1868 onward, Italy’s brightest scholars flowed through its marble-lined hallways on their way to the library, theatre, chapel, and into the beautiful grounds. Now it has been transformed into a contemporary 83-key hotel. Esteva i Esteva, a Spanish, father-son architectural firm, oversaw the project, which brought to life the vision of Analjit Singh, owner and founder of Leeu Collection, while preserving the property’s original character.

Florentine interior designer ArchFlorence has created exquisite guestrooms and suites, as well as four dining and drinking venues, including Bar Bertelli in the former principal’s office

On arriving at Collegio alla Querce, guests are welcomed into a nature-ensconced sanctuary as serene as it is social. Lawns cascade through four levels of terraced gardens that have been restored to their Medici-esque glory by landscape designer Franchesca Watson. They reveal a 35m swimming pool and its oak-fringed bar and restaurant. Indoors, the harmonious symmetry and beauty of the gardens is framed by soaring windows and high ceilings, and reflected in the design of 49 guestrooms, 28 suites, and six grand suites.

Combining art with modern Italian design, the hotel’s spacious accommodations fuse Auberge’s signature, one-of-a-kind and locally inspired style, with the buildings’ original features – from restored hand-painted frescoes to coffered wood ceilings. Rich colours, locally sourced materials and contemporary furnishings complement antiques and original artworks. The individually named Grand Suites offer gracious living and dining areas, stone bathrooms with large picture windows, and private terraces.

The hotel’s spacious accommodations include restored hand-painted frescoes to coffered wood ceilings

Incorporated into the seven-bedroom Palazzo Moderno, which can be booked on its own for complete privacy, the signature Residenza la Quercia suite includes two living rooms, two bathrooms, a butler’s kitchen, and a magnificent rooftop terrace and private hot tub.

The signature Residenza la Quercia suite includes two living rooms and two bathrooms

Celebrating Tuscan ingredients, imaginative cuisine can be enjoyed across four dining and drinking venues, in-room, and through culinary experiences, including mixology classes featuring olive oil, amaro making, coffee tastings, chef-led pasta cooking demos, and farmer’s market-to-table cooking experiences. La Gamella presents seasonal Italian classics for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Cicchetti open kitchen, designed and handmade in Florence by Offinice Gullo, serves as the chef’s table in the heart of the signature restaurant. The atrium-inspired Conservatorio is a sun-filled space, offering a relaxed yet refined setting to enjoy light seasonal fare, handcrafted pastries, and curated wines. Poolside restaurant and bar Café Focolare serves pizza, small pasta dishes, raw fish and panini beneath a vine-covered trellis. Bar Bertelli has a cigar lounge and serves cocktails and bar snacks.

Tucked down a cypress-lined drive, the hotel blends the charm of a timeless urban retreat with the tranquillity of a Tuscan country estate

Aelia, the hotel’s serene spa, has an exclusive partnership with Furtuna Skin, which uses olives and botanicals grown on its organic farm in Sicily. With soundbath extraction technology, the brand creates potent formulas for concentrated results, and Aelia is the first-ever spa to use Furtuna Skin’s products in its treatments. Aelia has four treatment suites – two with private steam showers and a private pool discreetly set within the greenery.

With its picture postcard views of Florence, historic buildings, and garden redolent of the Tuscan countryside, Collegio alla Querce, Auberge is the perfect setting for special events. Unique venues offer elegant spaces for every occasion indoors and out, whether a lavish wedding celebration on Terrazza dell’Arco, the outdoor event lawn, or an intimate gathering in the 14-seat Refettorio Private Dining Room, featuring a handpicked selection of dinnerware and tabletop pieces in partnership with Italian lifestyle brand Cabana. Guests can celebrate beneath the soaring ceilings of La Cappella, the restored chapel, or dine and dance the night away in Il Teatro, the original theatre with its opulent stage and wraparound balcony. In the gardens, elaborate grazing tables impress for social events, while at meetings in Sala Noce, a barista ensures the perfect Italian coffee. The Conservatorio’s adjacent library rooms host an art salon series and are also ideal for semi-private gatherings.

The hotel offers personal experiences. Epicures can hone their culinary skills in chef-led cooking classes at Cicchetti, relishing unique cocktail mixology experiences that feature local ingredients such as olive oil, or venturing to Chianti to witness the time-honoured craft of butchery in a communal dining experience with the legendary Dario Cecchini, as featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table. Guests can also unwind in their rooms with an olive and botanical-infused bath inspired by Roman bathhouses or immerse themselves in an Opera Sound Bath experience – a candlelit meditation led by an opera singer. In the evenings, the hotel comes alive, hosting musical talent from the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole and the Fondazione Mascarade Opera for shows, concerts, and supper club-style performances at Il Teatro.