Numeroventi

The Renaissance was the dawn of cultural rebirth, and Florence is often described as its cradle. A place where the old world’s wisdom awakened anew, weaving the threads of humanism into the tapestry of thought, as minds and hearts blossomed in the golden light of discovery.

It is a legacy that becomes palpable as we walk through the narrow streets, which often open unexpectedly into expansive piazzas showcasing architectural treasures. While the meandering pathways form an instant sense of intimacy, every grand, open square fills us with wonder and carries us beyond time and place. An apparent contradiction, yet together they weave a seamless narrative that captures the soul of Florence, where warmth and grandeur coexist in harmony.

We linger at the entrance of a majestic church. We rest beneath an arch. We steal a glance into a secluded courtyard. We pause to admire the many statues, some chiselled in stoic poses with muscles tensed, others draped in flowing fabrics that gently caress their curves. We tuck ourselves into a quiet corner to absorb the vastness of the space and the love poured into every detail. In these moments of serene beauty, we can’t help but wonder if the past holds the secret to a life well lived.

As we delve into the heart of this Tuscan city, a soothing calm envelops us, as though this place, steeped in its rich heritage, transcends the frenzy of modern life. It’s as though the city, with its timeless wisdom, has cultivated a quiet grace in the art of being. Standing here, we are reminded that the brilliance of its renowned writers, poets, artists and thinkers, and of those whose names have faded into history, unfolded in the quiet patience of time. While this legacy prompts a genuine sense of pride among Florentines, we wonder – does it also weigh upon them?

“There is a heaviness to Florence,” says Martino di Napoli Rampolla, Founder and Creative Director of the design residency Numeroventi. “There’s something stagnant, as if it lives off what was rather than what can be.” Perhaps this is why in his younger years he wanted to escape Tuscany. It wasn’t until recently that he has found endless joy in exploring the depths of its past.

Numeroventi is located at Via dei Pandolfini 20, just minutes from the renowned Piazza della Signoria, in the heart of the city. It spans three floors of the Palazzo Galli Tassi, a building with a storied past. Originally dating back to the 15th century, it became the grand residence of the Galli Tassi family in 1623, serving as a vibrant hub of social and cultural life in Renaissance Florence. Reflecting the city’s changing tides, the palace transitioned through various uses, including a period as a monastery, before being transformed into a syrup factory in the 19th century by one of Martino’s relatives.

Despite its soft, earthy tones, the exterior of the Palazzo Galli Tassi remains austere and imposing. This tall building, with its high windows hinting at the lofty ceilings of a bygone era, is rather unadorned. A deliberate asymmetry of the bricks, combined with a mix of arched windows and straight lines, evokes a restrained, classical character. A façade that conceals the beauty waiting to be discovered within.

We step through the heavy, open front door and a dimly lit path leads us to the internal courtyard. As our eyes gradually adjust, a delicate fig-like scent from a candle burning atop a covered fountain enchants our senses. The long bench to our right is adorned with carefully arranged magazines and books – a beautiful composition we feel reluctant to disturb. A round table graces the darker corner on the left, while a rectangular one stands a few steps from the fountain. Every object seems carefully chosen, each with its own character, yet blending seamlessly into the harmonious whole. As a warm voice greets us, the energy of the space subtly shifts, becoming more vibrant within the calm and soothing architecture of the past.

At Numeroventi, everyone seems deeply attuned to the place, yet they infuse it with fresh spirit. Martino speaks with great admiration for his team: “I trust them fully, and they do an incredible job,” he says with genuine enthusiasm. While he is mostly soft-spoken and deliberate in his way of communicating, he surprises us at times with outbursts of joyfulness, a hidden facet of his otherwise reserved character.

Trust and transparency are, in his eyes, the foundation of their collaboration. Their vision is collective – Martino is the founder and principal ambassador of Numeroventi, but, in the spirit of the master artists of the past, any ambitious dream is woven by many hands. Unlike those masters, however, there is little sense of hierarchy here.

In fact, the next day, we find the entire team immersed in a strategy session. “When we have no artists in residency and the city quietens down during the hot summer days, we take that opportunity to envision what comes next,” Martino explains. Collaboration isn’t just reserved for the artists, artisans and creatives; it’s woven into the very fabric of the team. Everyone is involved, contributing their ideas and energy.

The inner courtyard, bathed in soft daylight filtering from above, is where new encounters begin and farewells are made. While standing here, our eyes are inevitably drawn to the shadowed entrance with its towering doorway and we imagine a time when carriages would have elegantly swept through.

As we ascend the magnificent stairs leading to the lofts with Martino, we can’t help but contemplate the countless footsteps that have echoed over the centuries. How did they perceive these spaces? Did they share this same sense of vastness, or was it simply ordinary to them? Did they, too, feel the awe and wonder that fills us now? Surely recent visitors must have. But for those who stay longer, who make this place their own, the marvel fades as familiarity grows and the extraordinary becomes everyday.

The expansive first staircase gives way to a more intimate set of stairs, paired on each floor to accommodate the lofty ceilings. As we head upstairs, the darkness between the first and second floor gradually yields to the morning sunlight that floods the upper levels. Martino opens the entrance leading to three lofts, then turns the key to Loft 10, to our right.

The grandeur of the ground floor feels like a distant memory as we step into this intimate space, rich with a raw beauty. We enter a realm of darker tones, warmth and simplicity. The few objects present complement the space, enhancing rather than overshadowing it. We follow Martino to the living area and gather by a round table, our eyes and senses absorbing the atmosphere. The walls bear the traces of time – chipped, yes, but without feeling broken. Frescos subtly emerge in the gentle light: seeing what time has preserved of what once was feels deeply precious. We take a moment to simply be in this space, embracing its stillness and honouring its quiet beauty.

Unlike his father, Martino didn’t grow up here; his close connection with the palace is a more recent bond. As he recounts his early years in the sheltered quiet of a large home in a small Tuscan village, a subtle veil of solitude emerges. It has nothing to do with loneliness; rather, it’s a sense of expanded time, unanchored by clear purpose. If Florence feels calm, the Tuscan countryside is utterly unhurried, as if time itself meanders through the hills.

This hint of solitude is quickly replaced by the strength that comes with the ability and privilege of making conscious choices. And his was to experience more – much like our young selves, who often see ‘more’ as anything that diverges from familiar surroundings. It is only later that we realise how profoundly our past has formed us.

Martino’s early exposure to the Tuscan aesthetic shaped his vision of beauty, harmony, elegance and art – just as his impeccable manners enhance his innate attention and care for those around him. His upbringing, along with the many lives he has lived in different places, has finely attuned him to the world around him. Simple gestures of care, like quietly refilling our glasses before quenching his own thirst, sharing with joy the things he believes might bring us happiness, and giving his undivided attention to every conversation, no matter who is speaking. It’s the small details that create a lasting impression, and they are countless.

There is a softness in his voice and a gentle composure to his tall frame. He carries himself with intentional poise and engages with others with candour. This should not be mistaken for naiveté: his guarded yet inquisitive brown eyes discern the unspoken, and he subtly adjusts his demeanour, accent and voice to suit those he encounters.

After studying design in Barcelona, Martino worked as a graphic designer in Ghent, Belgium. He now curates art encounters in Florence and replenishes his body and soul for four months each year in a small village in the state of Bahia, Brazil – a place he discovered in 2021 and soon came to see as his true home. He remembers his time in Ghent fondly: “I found my value in my work,” he says. For the first time, he knew what he was capable of: the outcome was immediate and real, and the awards he won with the agency he worked for were testament to his abilities.

As he started to feel settled, his father called: the tenants on the second floor of Palazzo Galli Tassi were moving out. He always knew that there would come a time when he would have to decide what to do with the place. That moment came in 2014, when he returned to Florence and began crafting his vision. While he felt rooted in Belgium, we wonder how deep those roots truly were, knowing it was only a chapter in his life.

As we stand in Loft 10 on the third floor and ask Martino about his memories of the place, he recalls 2017, when the apartment had just become available. He had come by with a friend and two pizzas in a box, only to find that the previous tenants had taken out the chiminea before leaving. “Not uncommon in Florence,” he notes casually. To remain true to the building’s history, the chiminea was not replaced, leaving the wall as a poignant reminder of what once was and no longer is – adding to the raw beauty of this space without diminishing its subtlety. It has been restored, yet it carries the marks of time. Martino is very fond of this look. To polish something and restore it to how it appeared when it was made would deny the time that has passed. And why would someone want that?

When the history, the frame of a building, its walls and its essence can tell tales of different times, how can you find the right pieces to complement them? Martino’s approach has been very selective and intuitive. He is not an interior designer by training. He needs to see, sense, feel. What feels right, stays. What doesn’t is replaced. Opened in 2016, Numeroventi has the spirit of an old soul, and yet it is still in evolution. Soft tones. Simple things. Important pieces. Many beautiful books. Design objects we recognise and unknown ones that add an almost vintage feel to a place that, like Martino, has lived many lives.

Among the rooms where design aficionados and creatives can stay, think, work, write, share a meal and collaborate, there is an exhibition room that opens its doors frequently and engages with Florentine society.

While some artists come for a short residency, others come back again and again. Most art projects take place when Martino is in Florence. While he personally reviews all applications for the artist residencies, his role shifts with each project, adapting to the needs of the artist or the specific demands of the work. He might serve as a sounding board in the conceptual phase, assist with preparations or, as is often the case, connect the artist with a local artisan who can bring their vision to life.

As he speaks his eyes light up, revealing his passion for what has become – or always was – intrinsic to his purpose. No aspect seems to captivate him more than another, and he does not shy away from the physical labour of preparing materials for the artists. His true fascination seems to lie in the entire process of creation, in the exchange that happens, in the possibilities that arise.

The many artists who have passed through here have a remarkable range of backgrounds and forms of expression. Most leave behind one of the pieces created during their stay, forming an endless ‘Numeroventi collection’: it is not a requirement of the residency, but a beautiful reminder of the imaginative force of collective creation.

A vision, both inspired and grounded, emerges from Numeroventi. With global ambition and yet profoundly rooted in Tuscany. Depending on the nature of their craft, some local artisans may initially hesitate when approached. But once Martino wins them over with his Tuscan charm, they begin to see what he sees, and the results invariably fill them with pride. After all, it’s not every day that their work is transformed into pieces of art.

Martino suggests showing us some of his favourite places in the immediate neighbourhood – those he enjoys visiting time and again, the ones he recommends to his guests. As he guides us through the quieter winding backstreets, we discover a small boutique where they practise the traditional art of creating intricate images using precisely cut and fitted coloured stones, ‘commesso fiorentino in pietre dure’. This technique was developed in Florence during the Renaissance and there are only a few artisans who still practise it. It takes skill, precision and taste to combine, cut and fit the differently coloured stones to form new shapes. Perhaps this atelier will soon find an artist in residence to collaborate with.

The gleam of perfectly restored buildings and churches is artfully balanced by the character of homes, cafés and places that bear the marks of time. Though less polished, they are just as thoughtfully curated. The earthy and peachy tones, the warm greys and the soft pastels that grace the building exteriors enhance the pervading sense of harmony. Martino reveals that this palette isn’t just a testament to the Tuscan eye for beauty, but is carefully regulated to preserve the city’s historic and architectural inheritance. Nothing in Florence appears accidental or out of place, yet it never feels contrived. There is a natural ease to its elegance.

This captivating blend is also evident at Cibrèo Caffè, one of Martino’s favourites for a quick Tuscan lunch. He recommends the tomato gelée: “its finesse and fruity tomato flavours remind me of my grandmother’s sauce,” he says with a smile. His grandmother, well into her 80s, was the first unofficial chef of Numeroventi, her skill in crafting genuine yet refined Tuscan dishes unmatched, he proudly adds. And her energy? “Unstoppable – she would be there every day, if it were up to her.”

As we continue to walk through the buildings, we arrive at one of Martino’s favourite places: the Giardino di Boboli, a timeless sanctuary where nature and art dance together, unfurling a Renaissance tapestry under the Tuscan sun. Walking up the hill and round the back, we are rewarded with an unexpected view over the city. Martino often comes here when he craves some peace and quiet and wants to reconnect with nature. The greenery is probably what he misses most in Florence. Perhaps that’s another reason why he retreats to the Brazilian wilderness for four months each year.

The more time we spend with Martino, the more layers of his multifaceted personality emerge. The hint of solitude in his earlier years may have shaped a deeply self-reflective nature, so that he now moves through life with open eyes and probing questions. In conversations, his focus is unwavering and his responses always genuine. So much so that at times he closes his eyes briefly, perhaps to centre himself and fully engage with what the question stirs within him.

While there is clarity to his vision, he absorbs different perspectives and revisits them later in the conversation, leaving us with the impression that his thought process is ongoing. Yet, beneath that introspective surface, there is a sociable side – a genuine joy in the collective and in creating a strong sense of belonging that exists beyond the self. Detached from any notion of ownership, he views himself as a vessel through which Numeroventi can be experienced and contribute to the unfolding stories of many.

As we return and settle in the quietness of our loft, we feel as if Florence’s busy streets – and the whole world really – are held at bay the moment we step within these walls. There is a peacefulness to this place of creation and being. It blends disciplines and yet remains true to its soul. It instils creativity in those who seek inspiration and adds serenity to those who need space to be. Through its layered legacy, a simple place that centres us emerges, transcending our expectations of what it could be or what we wished it to be.