(4) Starlit Renaissance Evening
Written by Janne Renvall
As my taxi drives through the scenic winding road up the hill to Fiesole outside Firenze and arrives at the serene entrance of the symmetrically proportioned Renaissance style facade of Villa San Michele, my expectations for the evening are extremely high. The Sartorial Club’s black-tie dinner is about to begin.
Entrance of Villa San Michele (photo credit from the official Instagram account)
From summer gala to black tie soirees
With the TSC Members I have already experienced the cheerful Summer Gala, morning gatherings at the café followed by the walk to the Fortezza, daily meeting and greeting by the Pitti wall and visiting the trade shows of major clothing and accessory brands. Besides this, I have enjoyed sipping several negronis while hopping the several parties around the city during the evenings. Tonight, it is time to make different kinds of memories while joining this more intimate and sophisticated soiree with the TSC family.
All of us who joined the Club share the appreciation of craftsmanship and cherish the opportunity to dress up. Preparing and getting ready for the different Pitti events, especially for the black-tie occasions, is the reflection of such passion. It is interesting to see the variety of choices to interpret the dress code from the classical bespoke or made-to-measure tuxedos and other evening wear to more free variations all with carefully selected accessories and scents to complement the outfits. Especially during the summer Pitti the selected styles seem more relaxed, innovative and more hand in hand with the personality of each wearer, but still sophisticated and well curated.
Janne enjoys a moment of tranquility in the Italian Garden of Villa San Michele
Renaissance Charm
You can feel the suspense and excitement. Hands are being shaken and cheek kisses exchanged to greet the participants and wish everyone an enjoyable evening. Together we walk through the lobby of this most elegant and welcoming hotel, this timeless masterpiece, that was over decades built and decorated by great talents from various fresco painters and sculptors to artisans and stonemasons. We enter the cloister of this former 16th century monastery that during the history was enclosed with a conservatory-like roof of glass and iron, turning it into a winter garden. I wish to stay in this intriguing hall for a while but the greenery outside keeps me going. I step through the door into the garden and my mind calms down.
Isabel (left) and Dan (right) share a moment during the photo shoot at the Villa’s courtyard
The reception of the soiree starts in the carefully manicured multi-level landscaped hillside garden of discrete lawns and terraces with patrician box hedges and parterres shaping the various spaces. The delightful aperitivo is served on the east-facing side of the Villa guarded by the stunning and majestic centuries old Wisteria wine in bloom. While enjoying the aperitifs and canapés served in this magical setting, we start to unwind from the hectic rhythm of the day. In this Villa hidden in the Florentine hills, TSC manages to create an exclusive event for the members, a quiet sanctuary as an opposite to the other energetic events of the week.
The “Italian garden”, photo courtesy of Villa San Michele
Aaron (left) and Janne (right) enjoy an aperitivo in the garden
A more casual and colorful black tie dress code demonstrated by Dennise (left), Janne (middle) and Ksenia (right)
David (left), Janne (middle) and Petr (right) stroll through the garden and appreciate the landscape
An intimate evening
The perfect way to continue the beautifully started evening is by sharing the private dinner, which is an important TSC tradition and even better to savor with a smaller group of members. This time it brings the 20 of us to the exquisite venue of Villa San Michele to break bread around the long table of Ristorante San Michele in the atmospheric loggia of the Villa.
Dinner with the view of Florence Duomo
Savouring Tuscany
Loggia is a vaulted decked terrace typical to Renaissance style buildings. Having dinner outdoors under the Renaissance arches overlooking the magical city of Firenze in the best company is unforgettable. Dining together gives us a more relaxing evening and allows us to participate in longer conversations to share ideas and views on multiple topics. Thus, letting us get to know each other better while enjoying a good dinner. The restaurant serves traditional tasty Italian slow food. The successful four course menu with wine pairing focuses on the local terroir and seasonality with ingredients selected from Tuscany and prepared preserving authenticity.
The group cheer for the exclusive dinner under the arch, overlooking Florence
It is time to take my last glances down towards the nocturnal Firenze. I sigh and hug my fellow members for good night. The whole evening was a unique shared experience and the true pinnacle for the whole Pitti week. It fulfilled my wildest dreams of a starlit Tuscan dinner. This evening offered delights to please all of us on many levels. The magnificent Villa San Michele with the dreamlike garden offered quietness of mind, repose of body and lightness of heart, but also eye candy and served as the perfect stage for the traditional TSC Black Tie Dinner. The delicious Italian dinner tantalized the taste buds. All this we experienced together in a warm spirit, as if among a family, our sartorial family. We shall all have the memories to cherish and the exquisite pictures to remind us.
Janne (left), Louis (middle) and Linus (right) snatch up a trio photo before dinner
But this is not the end. The story goes on. Next, we shall be heading towards different types of pleasures in the cradle of tailoring in Napoli and adventures in the picturesque Amalfi scenery.
Amalfi coast awaits after a week in Florence