Virginia Woolf was an avid traveler and visited Tuscany in the early twentieth century.
Among several Italian cities, the English writer reached Florence and Fiesole, two cities that embodied, in her eyes, the historical and artistic soul of the region.
Tuscany exerted a deep fascination on Woolf, fueled as much by the beauty of its landscapes as by the richness of its cultural heritage.
In Florence, Virginia Woolf could immerse herself in a vibrant environment, inhabited by an intense Anglo-Saxon community of artists, intellectuals and writers who had chosen the city as a refuge and source of inspiration.
Among the most significant encounters she experienced during her Tuscan travels was with Bernard Berenson, a celebrated American art critic and the owner of Villa I Tatti, a splendid mansion located in the hills of Fiesole, which became a point of reference for the international cultural elite of the time.
Virginia Woolf in Florence
Over the years, Virginia Woolf visited Florence several times, a city that provided an ideal setting for her to reflect on her writing and its place in the European literary tradition.
In the year 1909, the writer visited Florence with her sister Vanessa and brother-in-law Clive Bell.
Florence, with its rich history, Renaissance art and vibrant atmosphere, was a city that deeply affected the writer, as can be read from her travelogue.
Virginia Woolf gives a poetic and intense description of Florence, observed with great sensitivity; in particular, the writer is struck by the delicacy of the city’s colors: the brown roofs, the green shutters, the white walls.
Woolf also wrote of her walks along the Arno River, always sustained by a sense of wonder and stillness.
The Arno at sunset, with its pale, turbulent light, contributes to an enchanted atmosphere that is difficult to recount.
Florence appears, in the eyes of the writer, a happy and harmonious place and is compared to a basket of eggs, simple and perfect.
Within the pages of Virginia Woolf’s diary emerges a reflection on the past and present beauty of Florence, amid illuminated palaces, romantic gardens, and colorful parades with the “streets full of flags and striped-legged men in procession.”
Her experiences in Florence, then, were not just touristy, but sought a deeper contact with the city’s history, art and intellectuals.
Virginia Woolf in Fiesole: meeting with Bernard Berenson owner of Villa I Tatti
Virginia Woolf’s trip to Fiesole is one of the most fascinating aspects of her Tuscan experience.
Fiesole, with its breathtaking landscape and tranquility, was the ideal place for a writer like Woolf, who always sought silence and solitude to reflect and write.
Among the various encounters she made in Fiesole, Virginia Woolf recounts having lunch with the celebrated art critic Bernard Berenson and his wife Mary, both central figures in the cultural landscape of the time.
Berenson, a refined connoisseur of Italian Renaissance painting, was at the time the owner of Villa I Tatti, a splendid residence located in the Fiesole hills, which he transformed into a lively intellectual center frequented by artists, writers and scholars from all over Europe.
The Villa became not only his home but also a point of reference for studies on Florentine and Italian art.
Upon his death in 1959, Berenson left Villa I Tatti, with its valuable collection of art from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, its extremely rich library and photo library to Harvard University.
Harvard University made it the home of the prestigious Center for the History of the Italian Renaissance, which still represents one of the most important international hubs for humanistic research.
Virgina Woolf’s Diaries of Travels in Tuscany
For all those who wish to learn more about the relationship between Virginia Woolf and Tuscany, we recommend reading “Travel Diaries” published by Mattioli 1885.
This valuable volume collects the travel notebooks and impressions written by the great English author during her travels in Europe, with a special focus on her Italian experiences.
Between the pages of the book, her stays in Florence and Fiesole emerge with force and poetry, places that Woolf experienced with intensity and was able to render with sensitivity and lucidity through her writing.
Readers will find there not only descriptions of landscapes and architecture, but also profound observations on life and personal relationships with local intellectuals.
This book is not only an enjoyable read for those who love literature and travel, but also a cue to rediscover Italy through different eyes, those of a refined and detail-oriented mind capable of capturing the soul of places.
We invite all those interested to look for this volume, along with others by the British writer (Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Orlando: A Biography and A Room of One’s Own), at the independent bookstores in Florence, which still represent a fundamental space for meeting, researching and spreading culture.
Where to stay in Fiesole, among the hills beloved by Virginia Woolf
If you wish to immerse yourself in the atmosphere that inspired Virginia Woolf during her stays in Fiesole, the FH55 Hotel Villa Fiesole is an ideal choice.
Located in the hills overlooking Florence, the four-star hotel offers the perfect combination of historic charm and modern comfort.
The hotel is housed in a refined 19th-century mansion, once the lemon house of a nearby monastery, now transformed into a charming property.
The spacious and bright rooms are decorated with period furniture and harmonious colors, offering spectacular views of Florence .
Inside the hotel is the Serrae Restaurant Villa Fiesole, a MICHELIN star in the 2025 Guide, which offers contemporary Italian cuisine inspired by the territory.
Distinctive dishes include pasta dishes featuring homemade pasta and pigeon with mock olive livers.
The hotel also has an outdoor pool, free parking and offers services such as free shuttle to central Florence from May to October and free WiFi.
Staying at FH55 Hotel Villa Fiesole means a unique experience of culture (Fiesole is a candidate to become Capital of Culture 2028), nature and gastronomy in the hills that so fascinated Virginia Woolf.