
Florence In Italy To Get Europe's First Capella Hotel In 2027, In An 800-Year-Old Convent Complex
Where And What
Located in the historic heart of the Tuscan capital, in Via San Gallo, the hotel will be just a few steps from the Piazza della Libertà (the northernmost point of the historic centre of Florence) and the Duomo (cathedral).
The complex where Capella Florence is coming up has been home to the convents of Sant'Agata, San Clemente and Santa Lucia di Camporeggi, which hosted talented artists like Arcangela Paladini.
It even served as a military hospital back in the day.
The hotel is designed by renowned Italian architectural firms RPA and De Vita & Schulze, with interiors by French design house Liaigre.
This will mark the restoration of one of the city's most culturally important and storied properties.
"Capella Florence represents a natural evolution of our vision, bringing the Capella experience to a city where culture, history, and artistry are deeply ingrained in everyday life," Cristiano Rinaldi, President, Capella Hotel Group, said in a statement.
What Capella Florence Will Comprise
The 89-key property will include 33 suites, 56 guestrooms and 10 exclusive classical and modern residences with their own entrance.
Guests will enjoy two refined restaurants - one spotlighting local Tuscan cuisine and the other a refined Japanese sushi omakase.
It will be complemented by a rooftop bar, subterranean speakeasy wine vault and Capella's signature Living Room.
A separate Clubhouse will house a 600 square metre Capella Spa, with hydro pool, fitness centre and a wellness café.
It will include an indoor amphitheatre, which will pay tribute to the site's 800-year tradition of creativity and cultural exchange.
The introduction of Europe to the Capella Hotel and Resorts brand comes after the success of its properties across Asia and the Pacific. The hotel is expected to welcome guests from 2027.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Zelenskiy Plans to Ask Europe to Help Pay Ukraine's Soldiers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to ask European allies to help finance improved salaries for troops resisting Russia's invasion, in a bid to ease growing shortages of recruits. 'Previously, Europeans refused to provide funding for the salaries of our military personnel, only for weapons,' Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday. 'Our service members themselves can be the weapon that protects everyone.' With a mobilization campaign in Ukraine increasingly unpopular among a population fatigued by the war that's in its fourth year, Zelenskiy's government wants to motivate more volunteers by offering substantial payments for those who sign military contracts. Russia has long offered large signing bonuses and high salaries to lure tens of thousands to its army each month, seeking to avoid any repeat of a spike in public anxiety when President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial draft a few months into the 2022 invasion. Increasing payments to soldiers would add to strains on Ukraine's state budget, which had a deficit exceeding 20% of gross domestic product last year amid massive military spending. The war-torn nation relies on tens of billions of dollars in aid from its foreign allies, who have so far rejected the idea of directly covering military expenses. While the International Monetary Fund, which is providing a loan program worth about $16 billion, is urging Kyiv to shrink the budget gap, the government has no plans to raise taxes, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko told Bloomberg News in an interview. Global donors have earmarked only half of the estimated $75 billion needed for the budget over the next two years, she said. Ukraine needs $25 billion annually to produce drones, jamming equipment and missiles to defend against Russia, which will bring the budget deficit to $65 billion next year, according to Zelenskiy. It has begun discussions on the issue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as well as US officials, he said. 'This is a very difficult topic,' Zelenskiy added. Ukrainian companies have started manufacturing interceptor drones, and about $6 billion is required urgently to ramp up production, the president said. 'A clear task has been set for the manufacturers: Ukraine must be capable of deploying at least 1,000 interceptors per day within a defined timeframe,' Zelenskiy said in a post on social media platform X on Friday after visiting a drone production facility. 'Government officials are ensuring contracting is in place, and we are also working constantly with our partners to prevent any funding shortages,' he said. While he told reporters the US has agreed to buy drones designed and produced in Ukraine, Zelenskiy said he's seeking a contract worth between $10 billion and $30 billion. Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Presidential Adviser Oleksandr Kamyshin have been tasked with handling the negotiations, he said. The president said that Ukrainian forces had made 'solid progress' in stalling Russian advances on the battefield. The situation in the northeastern Sumy region was now significantly better for Kyiv, though Russia remains focused on gains in the area as well as toward Pokrovsk, while the Dnipropetrovsk region 'is very much desired by them,' he said. Zelenskiy said the third round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Wednesday yielded some progress toward preparing a meeting with Putin. Russian officials have said there's little point to a summit before the sides have negotiated an agreement to end the war. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Investors eye possible US-Europe trade deal as deadline looms
NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - Investors are hopeful a potential trade deal between the U.S. and European Union could bring more certainty to markets ahead of next Friday's tariffs deadline. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland after EU officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework deal this weekend. Trump on Friday said there was a 50-50 chance or perhaps less that the U.S. would reach a trade agreement with the EU. Trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe may have provided some investors with a rationale to be cautious, said Sameer Samana, head of global equities and real assets at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "It's one of our largest trading relationships... So if that last piece falls into place, then you've probably got at the margin more people that have to get back in the markets," Samana said. "It's been a source of uncertainty that will go away." A deal would likely include a 15% baseline tariff on all EU goods entering the U.S. and probably a 50% tariff on European steel and aluminum, the officials and diplomats said. Optimism over easing trade tensions broadly has helped push U.S. stocks to record highs. Trump's April 2 "Liberation Day" announcement of sweeping global tariffs sent stocks plunging in the immediate aftermath, due to spiking fears about a recession that have since faded. Still, investors have been bracing for increased volatility heading into August 1, which the U.S. has set as a deadline for raising levies on a broad swath of trading partners. The EU is facing U.S. tariffs on more than 70% of its exports - 50% on steel and aluminum, 25% on cars and car parts and a 10% levy on most other EU goods, which Trump has said he would hike to 30% on August 1. Hopes for a deal with Europe rose after Trump struck a trade agreement with Japan earlier in the week. "The deal with Japan and the likely one soon with the EU are especially important given both are major U.S. trading partners, together accounting for about a quarter of all goods imports," analysts at Capital Economics said in a note on Friday. In the agreement with Japan, the country's auto sector, which accounts for more than a quarter of its U.S. exports, will see existing tariffs cut to 15% from levies totaling 27.5% previously. An agreement that also lowers EU auto tariffs to 15% "would be no small deal" for the region as well, as about 10% of its shipments to the U.S. are in the same category, Capital Economics said. Investors over the weekend were also watching for developments on trade between the U.S. and China. Officials from the two countries plan to meet in Stockholm next week to discuss extending an August 12 deadline for negotiating a deal. (Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Alden Bentley and Edward Tobin)


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
This is what a jumbo jet really is
BENGALURU: Elephants never forget - and these trunks in the sky will never forget their first flight. Four Asiatic elephants from Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) in south Bengaluru were airlifted to Osaka in Japan late Thursday aboard a chartered Boeing 777-200F cargo flight. The shipment - three females and one male - broke new ground in wildlife exchange. Their 12-hour airborne journey will be followed by a 20-hour road transfer Saturday to their new home: Himeji Central Safari Park in Hyogo prefecture. A team of veterinarians, biologists, and mahouts from India and Japan are accompanying them. The move is the culmination of a six-month operation involving over 25 BBP staff. Teams worked on designing custom crates for the first international air transfer of elephants from BBP. They prepared the elephants for long-duration flight - training them daily to enter and stay inside crates for up to four hours. "This was indeed a first experience for all of us. While the entire process itself was thrilling, it was filled with a lot of lessons," said BBP executive director AV Surya Sen. The aircraft was selected on the basis of the animals' combined weight - Asian male elephants weigh up to 6,800kg and females 4,000kg. All costs are being borne by the Japanese zoo authorities. Loaded onto a special truck using a hydraulic crane, the elephants left BBP Thursday and were secured in individual crates before boarding the flight. "They were fed well before crate entry," said one vet.