Lin Raia: all-round nature
An oasis of biodiversity in the heart of Gavi, that of La Raia: Demeter certified biodynamic farm, charming inn and place of widespread art, promoter of artistic, educational and cultural activities in its splendid landscape. A unique route, in 180 hectares of green land: vineyards (some with plants over seventy years old), crops, pastures and then woods which have become cradles for many wild animals.
Following the principle of “feeding the body and also the mind” today has reached its tenth anniversary “La Raia Foundation – Art Culture Territory”. Since 2013 it has hosted 10 works by international artists, created on the estate and visible for free all year round: names like Remo Salvadori, Francesco Jodice or Michael Beutler. And then many public meetings to explore intriguing broad-based philosophical and cultural themes.
It is no coincidence that La Raia has been hosting guests for 11 years a kindergarten and a Waldorf-Steiner school, attended by about thirty children from the area. To rest in this fairy atmosphere, Locanda La Raia (derived from an old post office) offers 12 rooms, each one different from the other furnished with period furniture and contemporary design, a splendid Spa and restaurant with menu signed by the well-known chef Tommaso Arrigoni (free visit to the works with reservation [email protected]).
Villa San Michele: wonder guaranteed
Immerse yourself in one of the most fascinating Tuscan landscapes, observing the infinite… from a window. But first things first: in a splendid 16th century monastery overlooking Florence, the Belmond Villa San Michele Hotel enjoys numerous blazons. From the facade attributed to the School of Michelangelo to the woods where Leonardo Da Vinci attempted to soar in flight: just like the opera Viewing the World, a window that stands out in the park with the inspiration of the well-known Argentine artist Leandro Erlich (now on display at Palazzo Reale, in Milan). The exhibition has just opened Teen & Teen by Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, known for the provocative nature of their work that stands out especially among the archways of the hotel’s entrance and corridors (below). Dear globe-trotters, know that this project goes far beyond the Tuscan borders, as part of the project MYTHICAL: collaboration with the tuscany Gallery Continuedwhich will continue at Belmond hotels in Mallorca, Taormina, Oxfordshire, Rio de Janeiro and many more.
Art in the hotel, The St.Regis: Among excellent canvases and suites
Traveling between Rome and Venice, with widespread works and galleries in more than majestic hotels. We are hosted by the intriguing The St.Regis who have made art their mantra, starting from The St.Regis Venice whose building – formerly the Grand Hotel Britannia – even conquered Claude Monet, who here captured the light on the Grand Canal. With the curatorship of Gisela Winkelhofer (founder of Edition artCo), many exhibitions and works wanted for a true museum exhibition itinerary. Like the crystalline White Chandelier by Ai Weiwei of the Gran Salone, created by the artist as a tribute to Venice for its 1600 years of history or the works of the duo Goldschmied and Chiari (below). In the capital, The St Regis Rome instead hosts the Galleria Continua Roma, the Roman headquarters of the aforementioned gallery: after a visit to the forthcoming Color & Light exhibition by Michelangelo Pistoletto (from 22 June), a stop at the Lumen Gardensecret garden of the Grand Hotel ready to delight every evening for aperitifs and dinners with live music.
Palazzo Luce: a temple of charm
Welcome to the court of beauty. Art and design are the true masters of the enchanting Lecce boutique hotel Palazzo Luce (below), place where each space speaks the voices of Gio Ponti, Ettore Sottsass or Carlo Mollino. Exploring works by Marina Abramovich, Ugo Mulas, Vanessa Beecroft and many more… But that could be enough, right? The collection of the lover Anna Maria Enselmi (especially passionate about Ponti) animates this 14th century Apulian residence, from the seven suites to the libraries, from bar designed by Martino Gamper to the breakfast room where you can start the day with a pinch of magic, between the garden, the terrace and an enchanting Music Room.
Art in the hotel: Palazzo Luce
Relais Le Marne: get excited in the Langhe
In the beginning it was the eight hectares of land whose fruits made Grom ice creams even more delicious. After the sale of the brand, entrepreneurs Guido Martinetti and Federico Grom in those lands of Montegrosso d’Asti (headquarters of the Mura Mura farm) they built a dream: the Relais Le Marne (below) Two farmhouses renovated and divided into Home of Poetsfive rooms dedicated to great Piedmontese authors, and in Home of Artists, eight rooms inspired by the work of as many creatives. In the large mural, one of the profiles of a child by Valerio Berruti, a well-known artist from Alba, stands out. A thin creative thread also stretched in Roots, restaurant in the vineyard with recipes inspired by the old local cuisine, up to the enormous indoor swimming pool: the only relais in the world to boast a 25-metre one.
Art in the hotel, Il Borro: among the rows of great works
It was 1993 when Ferruccio Ferragamo bought it the holding of The Borroin the Valdarno countryside: family home and cradle of hospitality, in 1,100 hectares in the heart of Tuscany.
This restored medieval village welcomes you with elegant suites, three historic villas and as many farm-houses, restaurants and artisan shops. Every production is virtuous: oil from local olive trees, vegetables from the garden, eggs from free-range hens, sheep for the production of cheeses, honey from over 100 hives. AND 85 hectares of vineyards from which fine wines are born (12 entirely organic labels). “Wine and Art”, not surprisingly, is the name of the gallery dedicated to wine and the world of Bacchus, in every respect. And to celebrate the estate’s thirtieth anniversary it opens 1993-2023 Il Borro. An act of faith that lasts over timeshows that it traces its history between works by Chagall, Picasso and Morandi.
OasyHotel: the DynamoCamp artists’ lodges
A real green oasis of 16 lodges halfway between Lucca, Pistoia, Florence and Bologna, in the municipality of San Marcello Piteglio. Here we find the Dynamo Oasis, the first eco-hotel inside a WWF oasis committed to the conservation and protection of natural areas. It rises here Oasy Hotel: environments designed to create continuity between the internal and external spaces, with large windows and a veranda but also all the comforts of a luxury hotel, with details and use of materials in perfect respect with nature. But not only: the works created by children with are exhibited on the walls of the OasyHotel Dynamo Art Factory together with established artists such as Remo Salvadori (below), Federico Pietrella and Massimo Bartolini or Andrea Mastrovito: just some of the big names with whom many children have been able to deal with contemporary art with excellent recreational therapy.
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