The amazing thing about Florence is that you really never know what is hiding behind the gray facade of any building. It could be a dusty interior, a crabby old lady who mumbles at you or perhaps the most opulent palace your eyes have ever laid on. Which is what I think when describing Palazzo Borghese on via ghibellina in the center of Florence. A place where you could easily imagine Napolean Boneparte sipping champagne surrounded by gold in order to make the Pope jealous.

Seriously one step in one of the inner ballrooms of this Palazzo and you will feel as if you were slapped with a fairy wand. 

So what’s the story behind Palazzo Borghese?

I am a bit if a history buff and yes, I am one of those people who if interested in a place, a movie or really anything in general – as soon as I get home, I google it. Sure enough after doing my ritualistic research of Palazzo Borghese, I discovered it is one of the greatest examples of neoclassical architecture in Florence, Italy.

One such amazing room is the incredible Hall of Mirrors, Pauline Bonaparte’s  (that would be Napoleon Bonaparte favorite sister) ancient bedroom when she was briefly wedded to Camillo Borghese.

I happened to be there for a special event called Best Franchisee of the World, the brain-child of Dr. Manuel Vescovi, a successful entrepreneur who wanted to create a special event focusing upon the individual affiliate of a famous franchise – essentially the people behind the brand.

This event first started in 2010, with December 7th being their 3rd edition at the Palazzo Borghese. You can absolutely feel the amount of energy and planning an event of this nature. Everything was spot on, the music, the drinks, the food, the photography – we truly felt transported into another world for a night even if we felt slightly like gate crashers.

Luckily for us, while we don’t own a franchise ourselves {in my dreams – I barely own a lollipop} – I am starting to wish I did! These people are amazing and work really hard to make a living while keeping the brand always at the forefront. We also were lucky to have friends Scott & Danella who were both working at the event in order to banter with throughout the night.

After a few drinks in the famous mirrored room above and took a tour of some of the rooms in the palace. The event/award show then commenced during a decadent dinner which was pretty much my idea of heaven. Various wines paired with a variety of delicious food, including a Florentine crespelle – pumpkin risotto & beautifully cooked beef medallion with a brunello wine sauce. The pumpkin risotto was phenomenal, I honestly could eat that dish for the rest of my life.

The table setting made me think of a few scenes in Pretty Woman – what fork should I use?
So who was the winner aka – the best Franchisee in the world { I like the sound of that}? It was none other than Victor Valdés Dávila from Mexican franchise, Beleki. You couldn’t help but get lost in the magic of his win, a huge smile and that dapper suit made me clap extra hard for Mr. Davila. Good job my friend, now I need to google your franchise!

The rest of the evening was spent getting lost in all of the pretty lights, action and music. Naturally, we ended up getting a beer at a dive bar near Piazza Signoria. My heels were long gone at that point (you always pack a pair of flats in your handbag in Florence – the cobblestones eat everything in their path) and nothing felt more right than hanging out in a cozy, warm bar that smelled like beer and long nights.

If that wasn’t enough – our friend Scott made this amazing MEME to commemorate his night of standing and taking photographs. I have to hand it to him though, if it did become a famous meme traveling the googlesphere, I will have his creative genius to thank. In the meantime, who wants to open a franchise with me? 😉