Perched on the hills overlooking Florence, a historic building has reopened as the first Italian hotel in the Auberge Resorts Collection: featuring panoramic suites, wellness programs, and a culinary experience designed to offer luxury without formality.
Just walk down the winding avenue leading to the property to realize that here, the concept of hospitality has been conceived as an emotional experience even before an aesthetic one. Perched on a hill overlooking the city from above, amidst cypress trees, Italian gardens, and views that seem to have stepped out of a Renaissance painting, Collegio alla Querce is the first Italian property of the Auberge Resorts Collection. But above all, it is the result of a monumental restoration that has breathed new life into a former 17th-century boarding school, transforming it into one of the most significant openings in European hospitality. For over a century, this place served as a boys’ boarding school attended by many illustrious Italian figures. Today, following an extensive restoration, the historic educational spaces—the chapel, the theater, the grand halls, and the headmaster’s office—have been reimagined as spaces dedicated to contemporary hospitality without losing their original charm.
The Property: The International Elegance of Auberge Resorts Collection
The corridors still feature their original floors, the frescoes harmonize with contemporary design, and the vaulted ceilings tell centuries of history without ever feeling like a museum—but the signature of Auberge Resorts Collection is most evident in its ability to create an emotional, deeply experiential form of luxury. Behind the project lies the vision of Analjit Singh, an Indian entrepreneur and founder of Leeu Collection, who envisioned Collegio alla Querce as a place capable of blending the cultural soul of Florence with the concept of a sophisticated country house.
Rooms, Suites, and Wellness: Florence at Your Feet
Staying at Collegio alla Querce means experiencing Florence from a privileged perspective—not just geographically, but emotionally. The 83 rooms, including 28 suites and 6 Signature Grand Suites, are the most spectacular heart of the property. Some resemble true noble apartments suspended above Florence: immense salons, panoramic terraces, and private wine cellars, marble bathrooms, freestanding bathtubs overlooking the city, and windows that frame the Duomo like a Renaissance painting. The Penthouse la Quercia, for example, with its 213 square meters, costs nearly 10,000 euros per night and perfectly captures the international scope of the project.
At sunset, when golden light envelops the hill and the Duomo appears in the distance, one truly grasps the essence of this place: a contemplative retreat that achieves the rare feat of being both spectacular and intimate. Even the wellness spaces—in the Aelia wing—follow the same philosophy: intimate and quiet, they focus more on the idea of individual well-being than on visual spectacle, offering treatments tailored to each guest. Among the most fascinating elements of the property is the restoration of the ancient theater and the historic chapel, now transformed into venues for concerts, cultural events, jazz evenings, and private gatherings. The hotel truly functions as a contemporary gathering place: not merely a place to stay but a cultural destination open to the city as well. During the warmer months, life moves outdoors to the large, picturesque panoramic pool, the restaurant specializing in grilled dishes and pizza, the terraced gardens, and organized experiences including tastings, visits to wineries, and exclusive tours through the streets of Florence.
The Cuisine and the Chef: The Luxury of Simplicity
The culinary offerings also perfectly reflect the character of this luxury resort. No “special occasion” restaurants, no cuisine designed to intimidate the guest. Here, they have chosen to take a different path: that of everyday quality. At the helm of the kitchen is Nicola Zamperetti, an executive chef from Veneto who brings with him a wealth of experience gained in Europe’s most renowned restaurants. After training at CAST Alimenti, Zamperetti worked alongside key figures in Italian haute cuisine such as Massimiliano Alajmo at Le Calandre and Ciccio Sultano at the Duomo in Ragusa Ibla. Today, however, he oversees the entire dining experience at Collegio alla Querce, which encompasses the resort’s various venues: La Gamella, Conservatorio, Café Focolare, and Bar Bertelli.
“Let’s start with the fact that I was born and raised in the world of fine dining,” Zamperetti tells me, continuing, “but after about ten years, I realized I wanted something more dynamic, more lighthearted—both in terms of service and food. Of course, I’ve brought with me from fine dining a focus on ingredients and high-level techniques, but now I want a restaurant that makes people feel at ease.” In fact, offering a restaurant within a hotel is never simple. You have to understand who your target audience is: international guests, certainly, but also locals who want to dine at a nice restaurant without ever feeling out of place. And this is precisely where Collegio chooses to set itself apart from today’s large luxury hotels. “When hotels of this caliber open, it’s almost automatic to include a fine dining option, perhaps a Michelin-starred one. We, on the other hand, did exactly the opposite. We didn’t want yet another restaurant where you have to prepare yourself before coming and where they explain every dish step by step. We wanted a place where people would want to come back without thinking twice.”
A philosophy that seems to have worked
“Just over a year after opening, we already have our regular guests who come back for lunch on business and for dinner with their families. And not just once a year, but once a week. That’s what we wanted to create: a place with the soul of a well-run trattoria, but inside a luxury hotel.” And in fact, one need only think of one of the dishes the chef says he’s particularly fond of: panzanella. A popular recipe featuring a triumph of tomato varieties, bread straight from Florence’s Central Market, and cucumbers infused with aromatic herbs. Yes, that’s the concept behind Collegio alla Querce. “In the end, it’s still panzanella, but with a completely different depth” he says.
The chef’s personal experiences also come to the fore; he brought with him to Tuscany vivid memories of his time working alongside Ciccio Sultano, which is why “a little piece of Sicily always comes back.” “Tuna bottarga, wild fennel, citrus fruits: these are ingredients that are now an integral part of my cooking style.” Thus, between a raw yellowtail dish with orange and olives, spaghetti with clams, toasted breadcrumbs, and lemon, or plin with Gran Mugello cheese and truffle, a personal yet immediately understandable culinary language takes shape. The signature dish of the Collegio, however, remains the chicken—perhaps the dish that best encapsulates the restaurant’s culinary philosophy.
“It’s a dish you don’t usually find in restaurants because it’s considered almost a home-cooked meal. But that’s exactly why we chose it: a small, well-raised cockerel, deboned, marinated, and grilled with shallots and cacciatore sauce. Served with a good glass of Chianti, it perfectly captures the message we want to convey—what it means to dine here.”
In the morning, luxury means conviviality
Then there’s an event that, in just a few months, has become one of the most sought-after in the city: Sunday brunch. A vibrant buffet served in La Gamella’s dining room, with the stunning stained-glass windows overlooking the garden providing the backdrop. All around, with olive trees casting shade beneath the star-vaulted ceilings, numerous tables feature appetizers and first courses among the great Italian classics; plus a selection of ever-changing main courses available to order directly from the menu.
The convivial atmosphere is the icing on the cake, thanks to Pastry Chef Giorgia Broglia’s impeccable selection of desserts. Paired with a selection of wines and a welcome glass of sparkling wine, this brunch—priced at 160 euros per person—has quickly become a must-attend event for anyone visiting Florence. Much like the breakfast, which—to the delight of breakfast enthusiasts—is open to non-guests for 55 euros, featuring a buffet that truly leaves you speechless with its selection of sweet pastries and savory dishes. Here, at a time when the luxury hotel industry is often torn between grandeur and formality, Collegio alla Querce achieves something far more difficult: creating warmth. It is a beautiful hotel, certainly. But above all, it is a place that consistently avoids becoming mere scenery and, if anything, leaves you with that desire to return as soon as possible to discover a little more of it each time.
Info
Collegio alla Querce
Via delle Forbici, 21B, 50133 Florence, FI;
Phone: 055 404 9000;
https://auberge.com/collegio-alla-querce/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=Yext
