A Gucci-approved castle, Aman’s Manhattan debut and a Milan hotel ready for the fashion pack
Words by ANDREW BARKER
The interiors of the historic property have been restored by the baron and baroness since inheriting it from an uncle in the late-1980s.
Castello Sonnino
Located on rolling hills in the Tuscan town of Montespertoli, this 16th-century villa, replete with a 13th-century watchtower and working estate, is surrounded by postcard-perfect vineyards and cypress trees. Since 1987, the property has served as the residence of Baroness Caterina de Renzis Sonnino and the late Baron Alessandro, who inherited it in a dilapidated state from an uncle in the late 1980s, and it has since been restored it to its stately former grandeur. In 2012, Caterina set up the Castello Sonnino International Education Centre, inviting academics and students to learn and assist with tending and harvesting the vineyards and olive groves, which produce chianti and olive oil. Then, in 2018, the fashion world took note of their efforts, and the castle became one of seven “Gucci Places,” locations selected for their unique beauty and power to inspire, where the brand’s VIP clients can enjoy private visits. (And the baroness became a Gucci model too.) Castello Sonnino’s farmhouse rental apartment with a large kitchen, fireplace and private garden is traditionally decorated in the Tuscan style, serving as the perfect base from which to explore the estate and experience the tastings, cooking classes and horseback riding it offers. If it’s good enough for Gucci… castellosonnino.it.
The bar of the Ferragamo family-run Portrait Milano.
Portrait Milano
After opening hotels in Florence and Rome, the Ferragamo family is stepping into Milan’s Golden Triangle shopping district, having transformed a 500-year-old, 30,000-square-foot structure that had variously served as Europe’s oldest seminary, a library, a prison and a hospital. Leonardo Ferragamo and Valeriano Antonioli, who run the brand’s hospitality arm, known as Lungarno Collection, were won over by the building’s history and the fact that it was once the workshop of famed architect Mario Bellini. Built around a 16th-century colonnade and an open piazza, the three-story hotel has 73 rooms, 20 of which are suites. Inside, it’s all very midcentury—heavy on walnut and rattan, decorated in vibrant greens and reds synonymous with the city’s apartment interiors. Retail is a big draw for the property, boasting a branch of the Antonia concept store (including a dedicated sneaker space) and Ferragamo’s daughter Maria Sole’s jewelry brand So-le Studio. The hotel’s restaurant is the international chain Beefbar’s first home in Italy, and the cocktail bar is distinctly 1950s in feel. Specializing in anti-aging treatments including detox and cryotherapy, the in-house spa, known as The Longevity Suite, is crowned by a vaulted-ceiling pool. Retail plus therapy. lungarnocollection.com/portrait-milano-hotel.
One of 83 Japanese-inspired suites at Aman New York.
Aman New York
Overlooking Bergdorf Goodman in midtown Manhattan, a stiletto’s throw from Central Park and the flagship stores of Madison Avenue, the sleek Aman New York is housed in the landmark, century-old Beaux-Arts Crown Building. You enter via a 14th-floor double-height atrium in the hotel, where open fire and water features, wooden screens and ikebana-style flower arrangements transport you away from the city and into the middle of Japan. There are two dining rooms: Arva, offering haute Italian fare, and Nama, a Japanese restaurant serving charcoal grilled fish, Wagyu dishes plus toro, king crab and whatever the chef dreams up for the omakase counter. You really could while away a whole weekend without leaving, luxuriating in the 25,000-square-foot spa and fitness center across three floors, enjoying massages, a steam room or sauna between dips in the 65-foot-long pool, before retiring to one of the 83 suites and throwing on a Frette robe. Inside, the walls feature ink-painted murals, panels dividing the serene spaces and egg-shaped bathtubs begging to be filled—decadently designed yet exquisitely refined. aman.com/hotels/aman-new-york.
Feature image: Aman New York.
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of C Magazine.
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