The Hotel Porta Rossa is a fragment of history; already in the 1300’s, it was an inn well known to Italian and foreign travellers. In the 1400's, it was bought and rebuilt by a rich silk merchant whose motto and coat of arms are still visible on its facade; from the middle of the 1500’s, it belongs to the ancient and noble family Torrigiani. All the epochs have left their mark on its walls and in its interior. The"belle epoque", at the beginning of the 1900’s, has left the most distinguishing mark, with the transformation of the inner courtyard into the entrance hall with the luminous, multicoloured glass roof. The old staircase, the welcoming dining room used for breakfast, the rooms all different one from the other, the furnishings – furniture, rugs and period ornaments – the splendid frescoed ceilings: at Porta Rossa every detail contributes to the creation of a very special atmosphere. This atmosphere was appreciated in the past by its numerous famous guests: from the old French and English merchants of the 1300’s, to the rich gentlemen of the Italian Renaissance, from the scholars to the men of power - Lord Byron, Stendhal, Balzac, Lamartine, the Emperor Leopold of Austria – and other political and historical personalities. Today Claudia d'Entrèves, direct descendant of the Torrigiani's, and Christian Seymons manage the Hotel with cordiality and aristocratic courtesy with the help of multilingual and experienced personnel, providing a warm and friendly reception. At the Porta Rossa one feels like a guest in a friend’s home and may feel free to ask for advice concerning itineraries, addresses and choices to be made, or to listen to stories, anecdotes and historical events told by the two amiable hosts.