Mark Rothko Exhibition in Florence – and Why Hotel Savoy Is the Place to Stay

Florence is now home to one of Europe’s major cultural events of the season: a landmark retrospective dedicated to Mark Rothko, on view from 14 March to 23 August 2026. Bringing together more than 70 works, including monumental canvases rarely seen in Italy, the exhibition draws on loans from the artist’s family as well as leading institutions including MoMA, Tate and the National Gallery of Art.

Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the project unfolds as a city-wide dialogue. The journey begins at Palazzo Strozzi and extends to Museo di San Marco, where Rothko’s paintings are placed in conversation with the frescoes of Beato Angelico, and to the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, in the architectural presence of Michelangelo.

For travellers planning a cultural trip around the exhibition, Hotel Savoy Florence is positioning itself as a key point of access. The hotel, a Rocco Forte property on Piazza della Repubblica, launched a special opening programme tied to the retrospective and continues to offer private after-hours tours during the exhibition period, giving guests access to the galleries after public hours, guided by Arturo Galansino, Director General of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, or a member of the curatorial team.

This programme also sits within Rocco Forte Hotels’ Suites & Beyond concept, created for suite guests and built around highly personalised service, privileged access and locally rooted experiences. In Florence, that translates into a stay framed by proximity to one of the year’s most significant art events.

Established in 1893, Hotel Savoy remains one of the most central addresses in the city, within reach of the Brunelleschi Dome, the Uffizi Gallery and Ponte Vecchio. Its 79 rooms and suites, designed under the direction of Olga Polizzi, combine Italian classicism with a contemporary sensibility, while the property’s longstanding collaborations with local artisans and cultural institutions have helped shape its identity as a refined cultural hub.