The Auberge Resorts Collection has opened the luxurious Collegio alla Querce in Florence, its first property in Italy.

The 16th Century buildings were once home to a school, a chapel and theatre.

The architectural restoration of the estate was led by spanish father-son design duo, Esteva i Esteva, who have preserved the original character of the structures and also by Florentine interior designers, ArchFlorence, who have kept the Renaissance features alive.

The hotel has a boutique spa called Aelia, as well as 49 guest rooms, 28 suites and six grand suites, with restored frescoes and coffered wood ceilings.

The resort’s pool is set beneath the oaks of the property’s five-level terraced Baroque gardens, which have been restored and designed by Cape Town-based landscape designer Franchesca Watson.

There is also a separate seven-bedroom private residence called Palazzo Moderno, which has its own rooftop terrace and private hot tub.

Auberge Resorts was appointed to manage Collegio alla Querce, in 2021 by Leeu Collection, a South African hospitality group that acquired the property in 2017.

Leeu Collection owns and operates several boutique hotels with spas in South Africa and England’s Lake District. The group was founded by Analjit Singh, father of Veer Singh, who created India’s renowned Vana wellness retreat, which has been owned by Six Senses, since 2022.

The Aelia spa has been designed as a haven for Tuscan wellbeing and rejuvenation, with four treatment suites, including one for couples with its own plunge pool. Treatment rooms have private steam showers by Grohe and the spa terrace and L’Oliveta garden offer a combined relaxation space.

With picture postcard views of Florence’s UNESCO-listed buildings, the spa has taken inspiration from its surroundings by partnering exclusively with product company Furtuna Skin, a brand that uses olives and botanicals grown on its 800-acre organic La Furtuna Farm in Sicily.

Therapeutic spa treatments are inspired by Tuscan traditions and post-treatment olive oil tastings are on offer, with an edible custom-made olive oil bottled by Furtuna Skin for Auberge, called LXR12.

A spokesperson told Spa Business Furtuna Skin products are extremely potent because they have been formulated using Soundbath extraction, a technology borrowed from the pharmaceutical industry. “Advanced sonic processing bathes our raw plant materials in sound waves, extracting the bioactives and nutrients at full potency for higher concentrations.”

The spa’s range of signature treatments include a full body experience using warm olive oil, Tuscan lemon and herbal exfoliation called Olive Oil and Tuscan Lemon.

The Longevità a Firenze experience, which can be customised into shorter treatments, is a package that lasts 240 minutes and includes guided breathwork, a lymphatic drainage massage, an Advanced Furtuna Skin Facial with laser therapy, an olive oil tasting and use of the steam shower and soaking tub. This package costs €800 (US$906, £680).

The Furtuna Botanical Facial is 60 minutes long and costs €250 (US$282, £212), with the choice to extend the treatment.

The spa is open to hotel guests and visiting members of the public between 10.00am and 8.00pm, while the fitness centre, with Technogym equipment, is open 24 hours a day.

Among the main resort buildings, there are also four restaurants and a bar that was once the collegio’s headmaster’s office. Event spaces include a restored Italian Renaissance chapel, a restored theatre, meeting rooms and a private dining area.

Collegio alla Querce is Auberge’s third European property, joining locations in Greece, Switzerland and France.

Spa Business most recently reported on the development in September 2024

Auberge is set to further expand its European presence with a London debut later this year, featuring a two-storey spa inspired by Roman bathhouses.