The World of Hospitality Issue 25 2018 | Page 76

76 the World Of Hospitality remained within the hands of the Verrazzano family for centuries giving the building a sense of family and security. The final note of perfection was the property’s outstanding hilltop location with breath-taking views of cypress trees, olive groves and vineyards. Furthermore, Vitigliano is situated near the towns of Panzano and Greve in Chianti further adding to the charm of life in the country, with Florence just a short drive away providing travel links for the family and of course guests. Vitigliano In reality, it took a further 2 years for the purchase to finalise and restoration work began in earnest in 2010 and lasted 5 years, finally opening in 2015. In collaboration with a skilled local Architect, the direction of the project was led by the property itself and its inherent architectural features and historic character. A meticulous balancing act of sensitive renovations where implemented using a combination of traditional artisan techniques and hi-tech materials to create healthy, sustainable interiors. Website: www.vitigliano.com “The best architect was, in any case, the house, or rather the ruin, itself – we really didn’t want to change all that much because there’s a reason for everything having been built the way it was. Our task, rather, was to find out how everything had looked originally and find a way of incorporating high technical standards, in keeping with environmentally sustainable criteria, without compromising the historic appearance. For example, we now have ventilated underflooring, underfloor heating where possible, windows that comply with the very latest energy standards, large rainwater cisterns and even biological sewage filtration.”