Introducing the Fiesole Design Project

Panoramic view of Fiesole

My current design project involves a small apartment within a palazzo in the hills above Florence, in the ancient town of Fiesole. If you’ve been to Florence, you may have taken the number 7 bus just a few kilometers outside of town up to Fiesole, famous for its Etruscan origins (around the 8th century BC), Roman theater, archeology museum, hill-top monastery, amazing panoramic views of Florence, Brunelleschi’s Dome, and the surrounding valleys.

Fiesole – view of archeological area

View of the palazzo from the archeological area

This project began just over a year ago with the search for a property. The client knew she wanted to be in Fiesole since her first visit there almost 20 years ago. With a small budget and big hopes, we began the search online. When I saw the agency images of this property, I was hesitant to go see it because the minimal amenities were so unattractive, however the price, potential, and location were perfect.

Etruscan wall in Fiesole (vintage postcard)

View of the client’s property seen from the Roman baths (vintage photo)

The site of the palazzo is located across the street from an ancient Etruscan wall and just steps away from the archeological area including the Roman theater, thermal baths, and an Etruscan-Roman temple. Behind the palazzo are amazing views of the valley to the North. Who wouldn’t want to live in an area surrounded by olive groves, cypress trees, impressive Renaissance villas, and forests with hiking trails and caves, all just 15 minutes from Florence? Even Frank Lloyd Wright, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas couldn’t resist living here.

View of the palazzo

Rear view of the palazzo

Read future posts about the challenges with the property acquisition and surprises during construction resulting in design revisions…

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