Fashionistas looking for a luxurious Italian vacation will fall in love with Il Borro, a sustainable wine estate and hotel owned and run by the Ferragamo family of the late, great fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo. The iconic Italian designer is most famous for pioneering women’s footwear into what it is today, patenting the now ubiquitous “wedge” heel in 1937.
Located in the Tuscan countryside about 30 minutes outside Florence, Il Borro is a haven of sustainable opulence, where everything from the wine to the food is either produced on the 2,700-acre estate or locally sourced.
Sustainable Luxury at Il Borro
“All the produce farmed on the estate is available in our restaurants. So here at Il Borro, we produce wine, extra virgin olive oil, chicken, eggs and beef,” Vittoria Ferragamo, the designer’s granddaughter, says. “We have honey from local bees and have just started producing our flour from ancient wheat for bread, pasta and pastries. We even have a wheat beer we make on the property.”
The Ferragamos bought Il Borro in 1993 from an Italian prince. At the time, the 2,700-acre estate had only one vineyard. It also had a medieval village
dating back to the 13th century that once belonged to the de Medici family but desperately needed repairs.
Over the last two-plus decades, the Ferragamos transformed the property into a luxury Relais & Chateau hotel, a sustainable organic farm and a thriving vineyard. The medieval village has been meticulously restored and is now home to 38 country-chic suites. A palatial pink, 10-bedroom villa, circa 1854, can also be rented. Two restaurants, swimming pools, a wine cellar, a spa and an equestrian center are also on the grounds.
Il Borro Boasts a Negative Carbon Footprint
Il Borro has a negative carbon footprint, which Vittoria and her older brother Salvatore Jr., the CEO and overseer of wine operations, are equally proud of. “Living on a farm like this, you experience the impact of climate change very much firsthand. You see how it impacts the projects you are working on, which has motivated me. It is no longer a theoretical thing; you are living with climate change daily,” Salvatore tells us. “Now, at Il Borro, we are entirely powered by solar. We produce three times as much energy as we consume, which qualifies us as a negative carbon footprint estate.”
Besides sustainability, the Ferragamo siblings are also passionate about wine. Salvatore’s face lights up when he speaks of the vineyards. Il Borro produces 150,000 bottles of wine yearly on 222 acres, with the grapes meticulously arranged by territory.
“We also believe in using the old methods [to make] some of our wines. So we have wines made in clay pot containers and not steel or oak barrels,” Salvatore says. “They are aged in the containers for a year and then bottled. It’s really quite unique and goes back to the origins of wine.”
Il Borro wines are creative and flavorful. Be sure to try Bolle di Borro, a sparkling rosé. Only around 5,000 bottles, made with 100 percent Sangiovese grapes, are produced globally each year, making this wine a rare treat to sip.
Also, Visit Viesca
You might also book a few days at the nearby Viesca, once the summer home of Salvatore and Wanda Ferragamo, who purchased it in the 1950s. In 2019, the family opened it as the Viesca estate. The 170-acre property between Florence and Arezzo is home to 17 suites in a long, whitewashed building. It also has seven villas, including a 16th-century manor house where the celebrated designer and his wife vacationed.
The property has a different vibe from Il Borro without losing its charm. It is more of a country affair with plenty of walking space. It also makes an excellent base for exploring Tuscany. Rent a car, and you can easily make day trips around the region. Or book a private tour with a company like Benarrivati that also arranges transfers.
How to Get There
Il Borro is about 30 minutes from Florence. From the U.S., you will likely fly into Rome. From there, it is just under three hours by car to Il Borro and Viesca. You can arrange a private transfer with the hotel or rent a car.
