LIFESTYLE PALAIS Le Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, installé dans de merveilleux palazzi restaurés, propose une expérience exclusive. Magique. Par Françoise Ha Vinh Romance Florentine splendor OCCUPYING TWO OPULENT PALAZZI, THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL FIRENZE OFFERS AN EXCLUSIVE, MAGICAL EXPERIENCE. A hotel of superlatives, a livein museum. Its two buildings, the 15thcentury Palazzo della Gherardesca and the Conventino, a 16thcentury palace and former convent, have been restored in all their Renassiance glory. Previously owned by Bartolomeo Scala and Cardinal Alessandro de’ Medici, the Della Gherardesca family seat later came into the possession of Ismaïl Pacha, Viceroy of Egypt, who sold it in 1883 when he was refused per mission to house his harem in the palace. Its C’EST L’HÔTEL DE TOUS LES SUPERLATIFS,véritablemuséeàluitout rooms were converted into offices, and for the seul.LepalazzodellaGherardesca,datantduxvesiècle,etleConventino, next century its moldings and frescoes were unpalaisdu xvi e siècleautrefoiscouventdereligieuses,furenttousdeux hidden under successive layers of paint. restaurésavecsplendeur,abritantdenombreusesœuvresd’artcréées In 1999 and 2000, the Fingen Group entrele xve etle xixe siècle.Leurpasséhistoriqueprestigieuxadonné acquired both buildings and undertook their naissanceàunjoyaudelaRenaissance.LepalazzodellaGherardescafut restoration, along with that of the Gherar successivementlapropriétédeBartolomeoScala,ducardinalAlexandre desca Garden. Reborn as a Four Seasons deMédicis,delafamilleDellaGherardesca,quileconserveprèsdetrois hotel, the double palace is steeped in the sièclesdurant.Puis,en1883,duvice-roid’EgypteIsmaïlPacha,quile romantic atmosphere of the past, complete revendlorsqu’illuiestrefuséd’yinstallersonharem.Avantd’accueillir, with statues, a fountain, a “Kaffeehaus” and àlafindu xixe siècle,lesbureauxdedeuxsociétés.Unsièclequiverrales even an Ionic temple. Not to be missed: the couchessuccessivesdepeinturerecouvrirstucsetfresques. hotel’s Florence HotAir Balloon Experience, L’acquisitiondesdeuxbâtimentsen1999et2000parlegroupeFingen the most spectacular way to admire the marquelerenouveaudespalais.S’ensuiventseptannéesdetravauxtita- dome of the cathedral and the Chianti Hills. nesquespouruneminutieuserestauration,ainsiquecelledujardindella An unforgettable adventure in harmony with Gherardesca,parcde4,5hectaresconsidérécommeleplusgrandjardin the beauty of the setting. privédelaville,créédèsle xve siècleetquipritvocation,audébutdu xixe siècle,dejardinbotaniquepourlaconservationd’espècesrares.Sa restaurationapermisderetrouverl’atmosphèreromantiqued’antanavec statues,fontaine,“Kaffeehaus”ettempleionique. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL FIRENZE Enmontgolfière,onadmirelacoupoledelacathédraleSantaMariadel , Borgo Pinti, 99, Florence, Italie. Fiore,oulescollinesduChianti,dansuneexpérienceultime,entotale fourseasons.com harmonieaveclabeautédeslieux. AIR FRANCE MADAME / 125 OIRELAV ATREBOR OTOHP