The Meliá Collection, a new Meliá Hotels International brand that brings together a collection of exceptional hotels with their own unique personality, has announced its latest addition: Tenuta di Artimino, a fantastic hotel complex in the heart of Tuscany, just 20 km from Florence, and scheduled to open in April to become the company's ninth hotel in Italy. 

Located among the hills and vineyards of Montalbano, which was once home to an Etruscan settlement, the Villa Medici "La Ferdinanda" was built in 1596 by order of the Ferdinand I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, following a project designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. Also known as the Villa of the One Hundred Chimneys (Villa dei Cento Camini), it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Next to the Villa is the hotel, built within a 17th-century Renaissance building and also accompanied by a group of lodges in the medieval village of Artimino, just 500 metres away. All in all, there are 102 rooms, suites, villas and lodges, as well as a winery, the gourmet restaurant Biagio Pignatta, the restaurant La Cantina del Redi (located in the heart of Artimino), a swimming pool, spa and large gardens and spaces for hosting events. The rooms are decorated in a Tuscan Renaissance style, with terracotta floors, wooden beams and elements using Pietra Serena, the typical Tuscan sandstone. Over the coming months, several renovation and redecoration works will be carried out in rooms and public areas to enhance the guest experience while also preserving all the historical and cultural legacy of this unique estate. 

At the end of last year, Meliá Hotels International announced the launch of The Meliá Collection, a new collection of luxury hotels with their own particular personality, designed for travellers seeking both authenticity and a genuine connection with their destination. They are carefully selected hotels, chosen either for their iconic location or historical significance, offering a choice of unique experiences designed to discover an unmistakable sense of place. The brand currently includes some of the most unique hotels in the company's portfolio, such as the Meliá Serengeti Lodge in Tanzania, the Hacienda del Conde in Tenerife, the Hotel Villa Marquis in Paris or the Meliá Desert Palm in Dubai, among others. 

The addition of this hotel is an important milestone for Meliá in its growth strategy in Italy, one of its top priorities in Europe, where it currently operates five hotels in Rome, Milan and Genoa. In addition to the opening of the Tenuta di Artimino, the company will also open in 2023 the majestic Gran Meliá Cordusio in Milan and its first two hotels in Sicily, the Meliá Siracusa and Meliá Taormina. The company is also continuing to explore projects in other destinations such as Sardinia and Puglia. 

Located in central Italy and with its capital in Florence, Tuscany is the second most visited region in the country after Veneto. In addition to Florence, it is also home to other famous tourist attractions, such as Pisa, Siena, Lucca, Castiglione della Pescaia or Grosseto, as well as about 120 protected nature reserves. 

The region is famous for its beautiful rolling hills and vast historical and cultural heritage. Origin of the Italian Renaissance, Tuscany was home to many influential figures of the time, whose legacy is preserved in some of the country's best-known museums, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti. The region is also famous for its wine, with its world-famous wines include Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or Morellino di Scansano, as well as the Carmignano wine, produced by Tenuta di Artimino.