As if there wasn't enough art in Florence already, luxury hotelier Four Seasons has opened new accommodation to suit design aficionados from all over the world.

It is the company's first central Italy property and is located in the 15th-century Della Gherardesca Palazzo, which has been lovingly renovated under the direction of the ministry of fine arts and culture.

Inside, the 117 rooms boast magnificent neo-classical style, including original frescoes and sculptured reliefs.

Meanwhile, the Il Palagio restaurant features stunning vaulted ceilings and a tranquil garden courtyard to digest the overwhelming art and tempting meals in serene surrounds.

A recent Vanity Fair review expounds: "You are nobody unless you have booked into the Four Seasons Florence. It is an oasis in the city centre: eight-acre park, pool (unusual), spa (unheard of) and two palazzos, one of which is dedicated to quiet with a soft-footed personal concierge."

As well as the Florence project, Four Seasons has also opened a new hotel in a converted Ottoman palace in Instanbul, Turkey.