B&B Isola d'Arno

Our B&B is located at the 3rd floor of a spacious building with high quality finishes displaying elegant and noble structures. The front is organized in four levels, held between “Palazzo Mancini” and “Palazzo Antinori Corsini”. It was built on ancient and medieval pre-existences but, despite having undergone alterations over the years, it still shows 17th century features. The windows on the piano nobile (main floor) present sandstone frames; on the ground floor the large entrance door is still in sandstone. The volumes of the building have substantially remained untouched with an elegant sandstone staircase and large landings. The “Borgo Santa Croce” street, located in a central position, takes its name from the nearby church. In ancient times, it was crossed by a branch of the Arno River, which created an island in the countryside just outside of the city walls. Here a group of Franciscan monks established their first church, which will later become the Santa Croce church. The name of our B&B was inspired by the history of its location, which in ancient times was in fact called “Isola d'Arno”.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD The Santa Croce neighbourhood is located in the Southeast part of the historical centre of Florence (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Strolling around this beautiful neighbourhood one can’t help but notice the Church from which the area takes its name. Despite bustling with tourists, the area maintains its original character. Walking around the narrow streets and the squares you can discover shops, non-touristic spots and little museums where you can find small and large treasures and curiosities. This part of the historical city centre is probably the most loved by visitors and Florentines likewise because it is bursting with all kinds of restaurants from the traditional to the fanciest ones. The large and magnificent square is dominated by the church and it is surrounded by historical buildings. Every year, in the month of June, the square becomes a scenographic battlefield for the “calcio storico fiorentino” a medieval soccer game, which, perhaps, is the most important city event of the year.