Hotel Mario's a small cozy Hotel

Hotel Mario's is located in a perfect position in the city centre of Florence.It's close to the most important attractions and masterpieces. Very very close to the central train station Santa Maria Novella in a pedestrian street ( via Faenza 89 ), only one block from the Fortezza da Basso ( where there are the fairs ) and one block too from Palazzo dei Congressi. We only have 16 rooms, we absolutely want give to all the customers all the time they need. Clients are not a key of a door, a number, but somebody with their own history and need.People that come from all over the world can have at Hotel Mario's, the same ambient and warmth they have at home.
Don't choose a standart place, choose an Hotel that has history, that take care of you. Hotel Mario's in Florence, Tuscany, the right place where to stay.

Palazzo dei Congressi in Florence,extremely close to Hotel Mario's

Hotel Mario's is situated in a fantastic position. Wich position could be better than this? So close to the Palazzo dei Congressi, so close to the Fortezza da Basso usually used for the fair in Florence, so close to the railway station of Santa Maria Novella.It's convenient come here, because is an incredible opportunity to start your day being only few metres from your destination.
The Palazzo dei Congressi is housed in the nineteenth century Villa Vittoria which the Strozzi family from Mantova had built between 1880 and 1914 and which was completed in 1931 when it was passed over to the Contini-Bonacossi family.
In 1964 the Villa was purchased by the Azienda Autonoma di Turismo (the tourism board) whose intention was that it should become Florence’s convention centre.
The renovation project was commissioned to Architect Pierluigi Spadolini.
There were various difficulties to overcome in order to maintain the villa and garden in compliance with the Fine Arts protection laws.
The work finished in 1969 (already in 1966 the ground floor rooms began to host conferences) and was celebrated with the grand opening of the entire conference centre.
Despite the renovation work, the first floor of the villa remained as it was with monumental panelled ceilings, hand carved walnut doors decorated with patterns from drawings by Cosimo Feltrini and del Vasari and their frames sculpted and inlaid with coloured marbles.
The Palazzo dei Congressi, which is one of the most important and well-equipped facilities for conferences and events in central Italy, also enjoys a privileged position in the heart of the city in the shopping, hotel and monumental area, in the immediate vicinity of the railway station and the airport terminal and just a few kilometres away from the motorway junctions.
When you have a conference in Florence, join Hotel Mario's, the place where to stay, only 1 minute walking from the Palazzo dei Congressi.
Visit the website www.hotelmarios.com or contact us : info@hotelmarios.com

Lorenzo de' Medici, a real Florentine Genius

Medici was the name of a great ruling family of Florence. Lorenzo, the Magnificent, was the most famous Medici. Lorenzo de Medici was the grandson of Cosimo de Medici, and he took the reigns of control over Florence from Cosimo in 1469. (Rabb and Marshall, 1993, p. 28). While Cosimo had taken a low profile approach to governing Florence, Lorenzo was not afraid of confrontation, and he took a more prominent position in Florence society.he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. His life coincided with the high point of the early Italian Renaissance; his death marked the end of the Golden Age of Florence. The fragile peace he helped maintain between the various Italian states collapsed with his death. Lorenzo de' Medici is buried next to his brother Giuliano in the Medici Chapel in Florence. Lorenzo de' Medici was ruling over Florence, but several parties had conspired against the Medici family, trying to overthrow and move them into a position of power in their place. Lorenzo hired Giovanni Auditore, an Assassin, to investigate. Giovanni successfully captured one of Rodrigo Borgia's men and hands him over to Lorenzo for interrogation. The man revealed an assassination plot to kill Galeazzo Maria Sforza, the Duke of Milan and a powerful ally of Lorenzo's. He then sent Giovanni to Milan in order to prevent the assassination. Unfortunately, Giovanni failed and the assassination was successful. However, Giovanni did manage to retrieve an encrypted paper from the thug that led the assassination. Michelangelo While still in his adolescence, he was given equally extensive exposure to the art and thought of the ancient world as a privileged protege of Lorenzo de' Medici, in whose palace he encountered a celebrated collection of classical works of art and conversed with the leading humanist poets and philosophers of the day, notably Marsilio Ficino and Angelo Poliziano. Neoplatonism espoused by Poliziano and Ficino, Michelangelo found his belief in rationalistic humanism tempered by the fiery sermons of the Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola, whose fundamentalist attacks on pagan culture and corrupt church practices struck a responsive chord in the deeply religious young artist. During the last years of his life, Lorenzo fell under the spell of an Italian Religious reformer name Girolamo Savonarola. Savonarola preached that he strongly felt that Christians wondered too far into Roman Culture. Lorenzo Medici was the reason that Savonarola was brought to Florence. Lorenzo de Medici died on either April 8th or April 9th and one of his dying wishes was for Girolamo Savonarola could be taken to his death bed so they could have a final talk before Lorenzo died. A horrible rumor was created by an unknown source that Savonarola dammed Lorenzo in his dying moments but this rumor has been argued by many people. Witnesses of the account say that Savonarola blessed the dying Lorenzo de Medici and that he passed away a consoled man.
Lorenzo de Medici was known for his exceptional peace keeping skills rather than his assets in banking and commerce. Lorenzo maintained the peace between Italy and Florence from 1480 until his death in 1492.
If Florence is so important, in our opinion, is mainly thanks to Lorenzo De Medici," il Magnifico".

Settignano, a magic place up to the hills of Florence

When you'll be at Hotel Mario's, from our very convenient position in the city, you could walk to the train station of Santa Maria Novella and catch the bus line 10 that will get you up to the hill of this nice small and panoramic village.
Settignano, a tranquil residential district located on one of the hills overlooking the city of Florence, shares its artistic fame with nearby Fiesole. The original village was probably founded by an important Roman family, thus fundus Septinianus, when Florentia was chosen as the residence of the united regions of Etruria and Umbria.
The name of Settignano is famous in the whole world thanks to her natural and adoptive sons, sculptors, architects and painters whose works of art adorn many museums. Desiderio da Settignano, Antonio and Bernardo Rossellino, Luca Fancelli, Meo del Caprina, the Ciolis and the Lorenzis were all born in Settignano, as was the painter Bartolomeo Bimbi. Other artists and scholars, such as Michelangelo, Niccoló Tommaseo, Telemaco Signorini and the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio lived in Settignano and were inspired by its harmonious landscapes.
Because of its vicinity to the famous quarries of Maiano and Trassinaia, Settignano also produced a multitude of lesser known artists, artisans, quarriers, carvers and stone masons who embellished the palaces of Florence during the Renaissance and introduced Florentine Renaissance artistic theories into many other cities in Italy as well as France and Spain.
Settignano is a lovely village, go in one of that little restaurant just around the main square and enjoy a good Chianti red wine and a bistecca alla fiorentina ( the steak ); enjoy the life, come to Italy.


information about Settignano are taken from the website www.settignano.com

Cenacolo del Conservatorio in Fuligno, Florence

Hotel Mario's is situated in a fantastic position for all the visitors would like starting their days walking to everywhere here in the city. Close to the train station of Santa Maria Novella ( less than 2 blocks ), close to the Mercato Centrale of San Lorenzo and also to the topic we are talking today : The Cenacolo of Fuligno.
The ancient convent in Fuligno was founded at the start of the fourteenth century and subsequently renovated in 1430.The convent’s refectory is decorated with fifteenth century frescoes depicting the Last Supper and the Oration of Christ in the Garden, both of which are attributed to Pietro Perugino. This refectory was used as a museum from the nineteenth century.Many works of art damaged in the great flood of 1966 were brought here. It was re-opened in 1990, with the addition of some frescos by Bicci di Lorenzo (1430 circa) which came from other rooms of the convent, as well as a wooden crucifix by Benedetto da Maiano.
Today the Cenacolo, or refectory, is home to other works such as the Assumption of the Virgin by Valerio Marucelli which once stood above the main altar in the church of Sant’Onofrio, the Crucifixion and several fifteenth and sixteenth century Tuscan and Italian paintings of the Perugino school. Hotel Mario's is only 50 metres far from this extraordinary masterpiece and we are glad to welcome you here in our small and typical hotel.


Opening hours
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 9am – 12pm
Closed on New Year’s Day, 1st May and Christmas Day

Entry fee
Free

Disabled access
No

Contact information
via Faenza 42
Florence
Telephone 055 286982
E-mail segreteria@sbas.firenze.it
http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/fuligno

Hotel Mario's an real idea of hospitality

How many times do you find fantastic luxury hotels, with the most modern technologies, the best view and the best service ? if you have the opportunity to pay a lot of money, you know what we are talking about.
How many times have you been in a nice cozy little Hotel, ran from real youngs Florentine guys, with the history in their blood, with a know-ledge of the secret of the city? how many times in the big and unreal hotels you felt only a number? too big, too less time to spend with clients, no way to have a relationship with the concierge or with the front desk.
Here at Hotel Mario's, a very old Hotel, with far origin, we instist without esiting, to follow the way of a style that is not studied, but it's inside ourself. Real,Florentine,authentic and charming place, near the railway station of Santa Maria Novella and close to the Fortezza da Basso, to the Palazzo dei Congressi and in the historical area of the Mercato Centrale ( central food market ). A terrific position where to start your walking tours through the city.
Contact us to require information, to be helped to plan your trip. Don't hesitate, write us : info@hotelmarios.com
We'll be glad to assist you in any occasion.

Ciao from Florence, a magic city

Train station in Florence : Santa Maria Novella

In the second half of the nineteenth century, railway stations were the most eloquent witnesses of the fruitful collaboration between the sciences, technology and art. Although the buildings were often beautifully and carefully designed (some even resembled basilicas), they were nonetheless difficult to integrate into the urban fabric. The station Maria Antonia, for instance, was erected withing the city walls, behind the church of Santa Maria Novella, thus opening a "new door" to the city. It was founded on 3 February 1848, and consisted of a number of separate buildings. The facade of the central building had four large round arches, which allowed one to see from the outside in, and vice versa, as if the architect had wished to emphasise the interpenetration of city and station. It had four tracks, and served as the point of departure of the Florence-Prato-Pistoia railway. The other Florentine Station, the "Stazione Leopolda", was also build in 1848. After the unification of Italy, the Station of Maria Antonia was rebaptised the Station of Santa Maria Novella. A new station was built during the 30s. “Maria Antonia” station was demolished to make way for the present station facing the church of Santa Maria Novella: a masterpiece of rationalist architecture, one of the finest expressions of the modern movement in Italian architecture.
Firenze Santa Maria Novella has amongst the most architecturally significant recent buildings of any Italian railway station.in 1932 a national competition was launched for the design of the new Travellers Building. It was won by the Tuscan Group of architects headed by Giovanni Michelucci and including Baroni, Berardi, Gamberini, Guarnieri and Lusanna. The station was opened in 1935: its chief features are the spacious entrance hall with its glass and steel roof structure and the main gallery, whose functional layout heralds the one later built in Roma. Its outer facings and finishings reflect the materials and colours of the city around it, while its interior is adorned with important artworks including sculptures by Italo Griselli and paintings by Ottone Rosai and Mario Romoli.
The plan of the building, as seen from above, was based on the fascio littorio, the symbol of Mussolini's fascist movement. The building is one of the key works of Italian modernism, but has little to do with the Italian Rationalism movement, being more strongly influenced by the Viennese architecture of Loos and Hoffman, with perhaps a nod to Wright; but it is the building's complete originality that makes it outstanding.While it is of a 'modern' design, the use of pietra forte for the station's stone frontage was intended to respond to and contrast with the nearby
Gothic architecture. It is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture of the church of Santa Maria Novella.
The train station is used by 59,000,000 people every year and is one of the most important in Italy.
It is at the northern end of the Florence–Rome direttissima, which was completed on 26 May 1992 and the southern end of the Bologna–Florence Direttissima, opened on 22 April 1934. A new high speed line to Bologna opened on 13 December 2009. The station is also used by regional trains on lines connecting to Pisa, Livorno, Lucca, Viareggio, Bologna and Faenza.
Hotel Mario's is just some metres far away from this beautiful train station and to get here is an easy walk from the station. You cannot imagine how close is. We are in a wonderful position, because off from the noisy of the around of every train station of the world.