Excellence Luxury Villas · Santa Maria Novella
Luxury Apartments in Santa Maria Novella, Florence
Apartments between Alberti's marble façade and the city's main station, a short stroll from the Duomo
As featured in
Florence's front door, with a Renaissance church at its heart
Most visitors first see Santa Maria Novella from a train window, and too many hurry straight through. That is a mistake. The quarter takes its name from the Dominican basilica on its broad piazza, whose green and white marble façade was finished by Leon Battista Alberti in 1470, and inside are Masaccio's Holy Trinity, a Giotto crucifix and Ghirlandaio's frescoes in the Tornabuoni Chapel.
Our collection here runs to 37 apartments, from compact flats for two to family apartments of several bedrooms, some with terraces, balconies or rooftop views across the terracotta roofs. Almost all have air conditioning, which you will be glad of in July.
What follows covers the neighbourhood, its churches and markets, the trains that make it such a practical base, and when to come.
Santa Maria Novella at a glance
- Apartments
- 37 in Santa Maria Novella, with up to 14 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £2,300 to £4,200 a week, from around £2,100
- On the doorstep
- The basilica, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica, Museo Novecento and the church of Ognissanti
- Best time
- April to early June and September to October; July and August are very hot
- Getting there
- Florence airport around 20 minutes by tram; Firenze Santa Maria Novella station for trains across Italy
Browse all 37 properties in Santa Maria Novella
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Palazzo Santa Maria Florence: Chic 3-Bedroom Apartment with Private Garden – Florence3 bedrooms
Palazzo Arnolfo Firenze: Spacious 5-Bedroom Luxury Penthouse with Rooftop Terrace – Florence5 bedrooms
Casa Vespucci Firenze: Luxury 4-Bedroom Apartment with Balcony Views – Florence4 bedrooms
Palazzo San Giovanni: Chic 2-Bedroom Apartment with Air-Con – Florence2 bedroomsExplore nearby Florence
Santa Maria Novella itself for the basilica, the station and quick trains across Tuscany, with the Duomo, the Accademia, Santa Croce and the Ponte Vecchio all within walking distance.
Masaccio, Ghirlandaio and an old apothecary
Give the basilica a proper morning. Masaccio's Holy Trinity, painted around 1427, is one of the first pictures to use true perspective, and Ghirlandaio's Tornabuoni Chapel fills the walls behind the altar with fifteenth-century Florentines in their best clothes. Then go out to the Green Cloister and the Spanish Chapel, which most people miss.
Round the corner on Via della Scala, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica traces its roots to the friars who arrived in 1221 and opened its doors to the public in 1612. Its frescoed rooms smell of iris and rose, and it is quite possible to walk in for a look and leave with a bag of soap.
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Markets, modernism and Botticelli's grave
This is a working quarter as much as a sightseeing one. The station, built in the 1930s by Giovanni Michelucci's group, is a fine piece of Italian modernism, and the Museo Novecento on the piazza shows twentieth-century Italian art. A few minutes east, the Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo is the place for lunch.
Towards the Arno, the church of Ognissanti holds Botticelli's tomb and Ghirlandaio's Last Supper, and Via de' Tornabuoni, Florence's grandest shopping street, starts at the southern edge of the quarter. The Duomo is around ten minutes' walk.
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Tuscany by train
Staying beside the main station has one great advantage: the rest of Tuscany is easy to reach without a car. Pisa and Lucca are simple day trips by regional train, with Lucca's walls made for an afternoon on a bicycle, and high-speed services reach Bologna in around 40 minutes and Rome in around an hour and a half.
For the Chianti hills, Siena or San Gimignano, a driver is more relaxing than a timetable, and our concierge can arrange one, along with wine estate visits.
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Lampredotto, bistecca and a red shirt in June
Florentine food is robust and unfussy. Try lampredotto, a tripe sandwich, from a market stall, ribollita in the colder months and a bistecca alla fiorentina, ordered by weight and served rare. In June the quarter turns out for the Calcio Storico, the bruising historic football played in Piazza Santa Croce, where Santa Maria Novella's team plays in red.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons; high summer is hot and crowded. Our concierge can book skip-the-queue museum tickets, private guides, restaurant tables and transfers.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Santa Maria Novella
Villa Levante Belvedere Santa Maria Novella: Luxury 3-Bedroom Villa with Air Conditioning – Florence Santa Maria Novella3 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £3,780 a week
Palazzo Arnolfo Novella: Elegant 2-Bedroom Luxury Apartment with City Views – Santa Maria Novella2 bedrooms · sleeps 4From £3,731 a week
Palazzo Santa Maria Novella: Chic 2-Bedroom Apartment with Panoramic Terrace – Santa Maria Novella2 bedrooms · sleeps 4From £3,703 a week
Casa Buonarroti Santa Maria Novella: Spacious 4-Bedroom Apartment Rental with Air Conditioning in Santa Maria Novella – Florence4 bedrooms · sleeps 10From £3,591 a week
Casa Ghiberti Novella: Spacious 3-Bedroom Luxury Apartment – Central Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 11From £3,591 a week
Villa Ceruleo Poggio Santa Maria Novella: Chic 2-Bedroom Apartment with Rooftop Terrace in Santa Maria Novella2 bedrooms · sleeps 4From £3,276 a week
Casa Mugnone Santa Maria Novella: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with Air Conditioning in Santa Maria Novella – Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £3,269 a week
Villa Levante Loggia Santa Maria: Charming 3-Bedroom Apartment with Private Parking in Santa Maria Novella – Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £3,003 a weekWhy book your apartment in Santa Maria Novella with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Santa Maria Novella runs from the quiet streets around Ognissanti to the busy blocks by the station, and we know which apartments are peaceful at night and still close to the trains. With 37 properties in Santa Maria Novella, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Skip-the-queue tickets for the Uffizi and Accademia, private art historians, restaurant reservations, drivers for Chianti and Siena, and transfers from Florence and Pisa airports. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Maria Novella a good area to stay in Florence?
Yes, especially if you plan day trips. You are close to the main station, the basilica and the Mercato Centrale, and the Duomo is around ten minutes on foot. Streets right beside the station are busier, so we can suggest quieter apartments nearer the piazza or Ognissanti.
When is the best time to visit Florence?
April to early June and September to October bring warm weather and long evenings without the worst of the heat. July and August are very hot and busy, and winter is quiet, cool and good for museums.
Can you visit the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy?
Yes. The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica on Via della Scala is open to the public, with frescoed rooms and perfumes, soaps and herbal preparations made to recipes developed by the Dominican friars.
Can you arrange a private chef at a apartment in Santa Maria Novella?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Santa Maria Novella cost?
Across our 37 properties in Santa Maria Novella, weekly rates typically range from £2,300 to £4,200, with the most affordable from around £2,100 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Santa Maria Novella from the airport?
Florence airport is linked to the area by tram in around 20 minutes. Pisa airport is around an hour away by train. Our concierge can arrange private transfers from either.
Are there apartments in Santa Maria Novella for large groups?
Yes. Our Santa Maria Novella collection includes properties with up to 14 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your apartment in Santa Maria Novella
37 apartments in Santa Maria Novella, a short walk from the Duomo, with our concierge on hand