Famous Medici Villas in Tuscany

The Medici family are the famous historical Florentine family known throughout Tuscany, Italy an indeed the World. In fact the finest country and city houses in and around Florence were built for the Medici dynasty. Below we have selected some of the best Medici Tuscany Villas for your information.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Medici became the unchallenged rulers of Florence and their power and wealth was used to build ever more grand and ostentatious villas and buildings.

Villa Medici di Castello

This Florentine country house was purchased in 1477 by Lorenzo and Giovanni de' Medici. It was then ruined following the expulsion of the Medici and later rebuilt by Cosimo I. Today it is the head office of the Accademia della Crusca.

The inside of the property is nothing to write home about and is, in any case, not accessible to the public. The gardens are a complete contrast as they were formed by Tribolo for Cosimo. Later Buontalenti continued the work. The gardens are truly magnificent and were even stated to be the best in Europe by Montaigne. There are a myriad of sculptures, fountains and labyrinths to explore.

Poggio a Caiano

This Medici Tuscan villa gives visitors the most accurate and vivid picture of what life used to be like during the heyday of the Medici dynasty.

Originally Lorenzo il Magnfico bought a farmhouse on this site in 1480 and the he commissioned Giuliano da Sangallo to rebuild the property in the style of a classical country palace. This is surely the most elegant and pleasing of the Medici villas with a truly Italian style and flair. Later additions have only lead to enhance the property and its appeal.

In side there is a double height Salon which was formed from a courtyard between two buildings. There is also a private theatre and a games room. The various room span several centuries in style and have a wealth of frescoes, paintings, sculpture and architectural features.

Outside the gardens have been converted to an English style with lovely old trees.

Villa Medicea Le Petraia

This is perhaps one of the most well known of the Medici Villas in Tuscany with the foundation being a mediaeval castle converted by Buontalenti between the 1570's and 1580's. The interior of the building was converted and furnished by Vittorio Emanuele II who enclosed the interior courtyard with glass to form a ballroom.

Specific items of interest include the bronze statue of Venus made by Giambologna, various frescoes and tapestries, and an interesting architecture. Outside the gardens are not the most extravagant and there are better ones in the other Medici villas.

Villa Medicea di Careggi

This Tuscan villa is only 5 km north of Florence and was originally a fortified farmhouse. The Medici occupied it in 1417. It was Cosimo il Vecchio's preferred villa and he adorned it with paintings and installed his private library in the property. Today the villa is a nurse's home where written permission is required to view the interior. The gardens however can be accessed as can the surrounding woodland.