Villa La Massa is a 13th-century country house turned five-star resort set within driving distance of Florence, Italy. Ahead, one editor's honest hotel review.
A promotion to fiancée is not in my near future; however, I have no shame in admitting that I have planned every aspect of our (my) nuptials. My ‘Tying the Knot’ Pinterest board? Approaching its sixth birthday, overcrowded with 500+ snaps of a stately home adorned with wildflower arrangements and a confetti exit.
That was until a 72-hour escape to the Chianti wine region. The refreshed brief? An intimate wedding of no more than 80 in the tiny chapel housed on the grounds of Villa La Massa, followed by a pasta-fuelled party set on the country house’s terra cotta veranda.
Stepping onto the hotel’s gravel driveway on day one, we were met with a heady mix of lemon yellow, Renaissance architecture, and climbing greenery. Behind that, the banks of the Arno River, reflecting Tuscany's rolling hills sparsely decorated with other luxury lodgings. It was no surprise this was where David Bowie opted to marry his wife, supermodel Iman, 32 years ago, and not only because it offers total seclusion.
Made up of a series of traditionally Tuscan-style buildings — Noble Villa, Villino, The Mill, Casa Colonica and La Limonaia — each with distinct personalities, there’s the option to revisit for an entirely different experience (and live out all your ‘dolce vita’ fantasies) five times over. Take the latter, a former lemonery and possibly my favourite, courtesy of its sage-striped hallways and private garden terraces. The ideal spot for the mothers of the bride and groom to enjoy a quiet coffee ahead of our vows or to retire for silent recovery post-wedding breakfast.
But the junior suite, housed inside the ancient farmhouse known as Casa Colonica and which dates back to the mid-1800s, had the home-away-from-home feel I seek in all borrowed bedrooms. Perhaps it was its velvety textures and warm colour scheme (powder blue and tangerine orange), paired with a cosy living room to rival that of my London flat. Unfortunately, it only saw me as a commuter, with most of the time in my room spent in the dual-ended bath overlooking a small slice of Massa’s 10-hectare parkland.
Talking of, it’s easy to imagine Bowie and the villa’s various other grooms practising their vows down the paths of the villa's Iris Garden. Browsing the collection of reblooming, medium, and dwarf irises — in shades of yellow, white, and blue, squashing all brides’ concerns of clashing florals — in the mid-May warmth, it was hard to comprehend we were just a 15-minute drive from the chaos of a lively European city.
I don’t need to recommend the well-documented sites of Florence, but for a first-time visitor, the Ponte Vecchio Bridge is a prime spot for people-watching. Specifically, a gaggle of tourists, locals and enthusiastic jewellery craftsmen encouraging people to invest in a pricey souvenir. Of course, Piazzale Michelangelo also offers the best, uninterrupted views of where incredible geography meets human design, worth crowding your camera roll with. I hadn’t considered that the Italian hills might rival the mountains of New Zealand’s South Island I’ve raved about since my pre-pandemic visit, but I can absolutely confirm they do.
But wandering the cobbled streets in search of a bowl of pasta not made with unsuspecting tourists in mind, I was glad to have the quiet sanctuary of L’Oliveto Bistrot to return to. A renovated stone barn turned poolside pizzeria, it serves authentic classics like pici pasta, cured meats and cheeses served with Coccoli dough balls, and hand-stretched pizza — by yours truly, a private experience guests can request with chefs Stefano and Luca. Perhaps a suitable starter on your wedding itinerary, simultaneously diffusing all the awkwardness of your guests' first meetings and satisfying those post-flight cravings.
Il Verrocchio, the other of the two restaurants on-site, offers a romantic setting, as well as a traditional Italian dinner menu. Best enjoyed here was the hotel’s own olive oil — sadly, only enjoyable on-site and not as a take-home souvenir since they aren’t able to produce enough to even see out the summer season — and the hand-crafted, truffle-topped ravioli. For the sweet-toothed, the individual baths of tiramisu were the talking point of breakfast and lunch for the next two days. But we also appreciated the uninterrupted views of the Arno River and the church-like vaulted ceilings surrounding us as we gorged.
While the smaller of the brand's two properties — Villa d’Este decorates a small section of Lake Como's shores and is rumoured to be a fan-favourite of The Clooneys — you certainly don't have to flee to the city to fill your days. The Arno Spa is cosy yet completely effective, offering a wet area fitted with a Turkish bath, sauna, and Roman bath, as well as two treatment rooms. Despite spending most of my long weekend lounging by the (heated) pool, making headway on my Kindle's TBR list, a full-body massage was key to my full unwinding. For the more active, the fully-equipped hotel gym or the nearby golf courses and horse trails could help work up an appetite for yet another bowl of pasta.
This is a venue for the culinarily keen. The cocktail menu of The Bar Mediceo was perfectly balanced, like the aperitifs themselves. Of course, you can stick to the classics — I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy a series of Aperol Spritzes — but the ‘Like A Virgin’ twist on the Cosmopolitan is refreshing and coordinates with the jewel-toned exteriors of your surroundings. But a must, if even only to add a shot to your iPhone album, is the ‘Iris', a slightly bitter blend finished with the region's native bloom.
Granted, I'll need a lottery win or the book advance I've been manifesting to host our love fest here, considering a venue buyout is often necessary — but another weekend escape to reconnect with my other half? A soon-to-be reality.
