The Medici Villas are beautiful and well-maintained palatial villas in Tuscany built by the Medici family. The House of Medici is a Florentine family of bankers who rose to become first the unofficial rulers of the Republic of Florence and later the sovereigns of Tuscany.

Our art history guide will pick you up at the designated stop and will take you on a guided tour of the Villa Poggio a Caiano, Artimino, Petraia and the gardens of Villa Castello.

Villa Poggio a Caiano

This beautiful country villa is situated at the foot of Montalbano. Around 1485, Lorenzo the Magnificent also known as Il Magnifico commissioned it to be built according to a plan designed by Giuliano da Sangallo. Work continued under Pope Leo, son of Lorenzo and the villa was finally completed in the second half of the sixteenth century.

This beautiful villa has a portico on each side facing well laid out gardens. It is built in the classic antique style. It is filled with frescoes, beautiful paintings, gold gilding, a mini theatre, and ornate furniture. The huge landscaped garden is filled with grottos, statues and sculptures.

Although there are many beautiful art works the most splendid of them is the fresco of the lunette by Pontormo. It depicts the rural divinities of Vurtumnus and Pomono. It is one of the most evocative masterpieces of Florentine mannerism.

Our journey now proceeds towards Carmingnano.

Artimino

We will now explore the beautiful Villa “La Ferdinanda.” In 1594 Bernado Buonotalenti designed this villa for Grand Duke Ferdinand I. It is situated in the vicinity of the vast private hunting reserves of Cosimo I. Hence it has been designed as a hunting lodge.

It is also called as the “villa of hundred chimneys” as it has many chimneys or miniature towers in the façade. This adds a quaint and appealing look to the otherwise imposing and sombre façade.

The main room is used for lectures, conventions and banquets. It has a series of beautiful frescoes by the Flemish painter Giusto Utens.

We will now proceed to the medieval village Artimino for a traditional lunch featuring some of the best Tuscan dishes.

After the lunch let us visit Petraia

Petraia

Originally a castle of the Brunelleschi family the Villa of Petraia became a possession of Grand Duke Ferdinand I. In 1575, under the orders of the Grand Duke Buontalenti redesigned the villa.

It has a beautiful inner courtyard covered by a glass roof. There are a series of seventeenth century frescoes by Volterrano. The villa has a series of “period” rooms furnished with beautiful paintings, pictures and furniture. King Victor Emmanuelle II used the villa as his summer residence. This magnificent villa overlooks an Italian style garden designed by Tibolo.

We will now proceed to the Villa Castello

Castello

In the fourteenth century this villa was called Il Vivaio or the Greenhouse. When the Medici family was banished the Florentines destroyed the villa. However Cosimo the Great commissioned Giorgio Vasari to rebuild it in a classical renaissance design.

Currently the Accademia della Crusca is housed in the villa. Hence it is only possible to visit the gardens. These gardens are very beautiful and among the most magnificent and ornate in the whole of Europe.

After touring these lovely gardens we hope you would have enjoyed your tour and now you will be dropped at the designated point.