8am, Le Cure. On summer days such as these, an early start is essential to survival. The morning light catches the ornate mouldings and Liberty details on the late 19th-century palazzi just so as residents unhurriedly stroll down viale Don Giovanni Minzoni. A sanctuary of local living, this leafy neighbourhood near piazza della Libertà retains an alluring realness. A well-dressed gentleman sitting on a fold-up chair outside his antiques store greets an octogenarian signora as she pulls along her shopping trolley bag, no doubt filled with seasonal goodness from the greengrocer, butcher and bakery. Maybe I’m romanticizing (or it’s the airborne yeast from the forno), but the area vaunts a Parisian vibe.

9am, Abitazione by This Time Tomorrow. Never one to pass up a decadent doorway, I pause outside the impressive entry to viale Don Giovanni Minzoni 3, marvelling at the elegant curvature of the oh-so-very Florentine portal set into the rustic bossage facade. For a hospitality business, subtlety is at work in the form of an unobtrusive brass plaque. Indoors, a contemporary chandelier halo contrasts with a 16th-century oil painting in the discreet entrance hall before a familiar face appears from the stylish elevator serving the palazzo’s four floors.

Dutchman Eric Veroliemeulen needs little introduction: he expertly managed Tuscan estate Villa La Palagina before masterminding the launch of Villa Medicea di Lilliano as the wedding venue par excellence. Now the curator of This Time Tomorrow in Florence, Eric has transferred his little black book (or i-Phone) filled with contacts to these luxury residences that are quickly becoming the “hottest new-to-market” stay in the Tuscan capital (Forbes). Alongside Dar Al Dall in Marrakesh, Florence is the foreword in This Time Tomorrow’s luxury travel business co-founded by globetrotting financiers Pierre Ferland and Thomas Odenthal. Porto, Seville and Bordeaux could be the subsequent chapters as the young dynamic team charts an alternate course to international travel centred on privacy, unwavering dedication to clients and a proactive service approach. Eric continues: “Staying at This Time Tomorrow actually starts before our guests check in. We initiate with a detailed questionnaire designed to tailor bespoke itineraries to our clients’ specific interests—and we try to add a touch of humour with the questions!”




Hedonistic cakes from neighbourhood café Blasio across the street and an espresso extracted from beans roasted by Florentine firm Mokarico act as the ideal welcome as we sink into plush sofas whose velvet deserves stroking like a Persian Longhair. My gaze wanders across the expansive space, all 110 square metres, from the herringbone parquet to the gilded portraiture and sophisticated fully equipped kitchen, where a curated hamper contains gastronomic delights. “The truffle honey pairs perfectly with the pecorino in the refrigerator, where guests can also find a bottle of sparkling wine from Pierre’s South Rhône vineyard in France, as well as other delicious morsels,” Eric enthuses. “Not that we expect our guests will want to cook all the time, but they enjoy the markets, eat out at local restaurants and can even hire the services of a private chef. They rely on us to curate an eclectic experience.” Guests have been known to be serenaded by opera singers, immerse themselves in the world of sculpture with a resident Florentine artist and indulge in select tours of privately owned palazzos as well as simply learning from artisans in their own habitats.

Each exclusive residence embodies the This Time Tomorrow concept. From 1pm, the name of the two-bedroom apartment on the first floor with impeccably restored terrazzo floors and lilac frescoes, to 1am, enigmatic and stately, hung with a majestic 18th-century tapestry and a spacious courtyard terrace, there’s a time for everyone, even Crepuscolo (meaning “dawn”), a three-bedroom wonder with a spectacular curved fresco that elicits an involuntary gasp of delight and Mezzanotte (“midnight”) with ground-floor access and double terraces.
Marvelling at the opulence and seclusion of each of the eight apartments, you would be forgiven for wanting to move in for longer, perhaps penning a novella at one of the mid-century desks and savouring sundowners with fellow “residents” up on the communal rooftop replete with verdant hill views and Giotto’s bell tower in the distance. This Time Tomorrow is carpe diem in itself.

Abitazione by This Time Tomorrow
Viale Don Giovanni Minzoni 3, Florence
florence@thistimetomorrow.io
+39 055 7099630