Grand Hotel Minerva

A historic hotel with a view of Santa Maria Novella

The Grand Hotel Minerva is located in the heart of Florence, just a few steps from Santa Maria Novella Church. Its history dates to 1848 when it was known as the Gran Locanda della Minerva in a 14th-century palace that was part of the monastery of Santa Maria Novella.

Edoardi Detti and Carlo Scarpa renovated the building in the 1950s, turning it into a magnificent hotel. Recently restored by Piera Tempesti Benelli, he rediscovered the building’s architectural history and put its old artworks in pride of place, also adding modern and contemporary art. Don’t miss Large Bather No. 6 by Sicilian sculptor Emilio Greco and the decorations in the breakfast room by Florentine painter Giuseppe Chiari. Paintings by Carlo Carrà, an exponent of Italian futurism, can be found in the salons.

The suites have frescoed or coffered ceilings and you can admire the entire city from the rooftop pool. In these rooms in 1867, the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow translated Dante’s Divine Comedy. Magnificent views of the façade of Santa Maria Novella can be enjoyed from the rooms, and you just have to step out the door to find yourself in the heart of this Renaissance city – considered one of the most beautiful in the world.