Who's Going
Alberta Ferretti, Uma Thurman, Carla Bruni
Reason to Stay
Design Hotel, Historic Hotel, Countryside Setting
Hotel Type
Designer Resort
Set in the rolling hills of Montegridolfo 45-minutes from Florence and the Adriatic resort town of Rimini, designer Alberta Ferretti creates an A-List sanctuary within a 13th Century hilltop castle. Castello di Montegridolfo is a restored medieval village featuring a rebuilt castle, church, town hall and restaurants that surround the main hotel known as Palazzo Viviani. The property encompasses a hillside promontory surrounded by stonewalls overlooking a rolling hillside dotted with abandoned fortresses and historic chapels. The hotel dates back to the 13th Century when it was the seat of the Gridolfi family who were involved in a series of wars and battles that ultimately saw the castle ransacked and repeatedly destroyed over the ensuing decades until in the 16th Century when it was acquired by the Malatesta family. Comprising of four separate buildings, each structure is individually decorated incorporating original antiques with preserved details like plaster walls and handmade moldings of the original structure. The lobby is exquisitely assembled in Gustavian antiques on raw oak floors with hand-woven rugs interrupted by stone thresholds. Massive walls under soaring ceilings give way to awe-inspiring views of the adjacent gardens with stylish resort pool surrounded by in-the-know globetrotters and stylish weekenders. While leaving the property takes a bit of planning, food options are endless within the resort with a wide variety of small bars and restaurants offering casual to dramatically more upscale dining experiences.
The Room
This quiet resort is a sedate getaway suited for those traveling between Venice and Puglia or even those looking to getaway from Rimini during high season. The hotel is comprised of four separate structures including the Palazzo Viviani, the original residence of the castle, with 8 individually styled rooms of exposed-beam ceilings, original frescoes and museum-quality furnishings hand selected by Alberta Ferretti. Interiors are picture-book quality treading the line between Italian formality and practical living spaces that are comfortable for an extended amount of time. Casa del Pittore Is located adjacent to the formal gardens and main resort pool with seven rooms composed of natural stone floors and creamy-colored interiors including lavish bathrooms and formal living areas. Borgo Antico and a new hotel wing feature an additional 38 rooms comfortably decorated in mind of younger guests but more affordably priced given their smaller sizes and less-historic spaces. Summer guests include a weekend getaway crowd who seek out the hotel for its fine dining and upscale resort setting. Other seasons are far quieter with a more mature crowd of Italian vacationers combing the countryside for food and fine wine.
Preferred Room
Palazzo Viviani
Special Features
Countryside Location, Celebrity Clientele, Historic Hotel
Amenities
Restaurant, Bar, Historic Hotel, Pool, Spa
