Located in the countryside adorned with grapevines and olive groves and only ten kilometres from the centre of Florence, the villa is an ideal place for a wedding in Tuscany.
The Villa dates back to the 11th century, built as a look-out tower but its splendour came out in the 1646 when it has been bought by the Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’Medici who transformed the house from a simple farm to a proper country residence, to entertain renowned guests such as, in 1709, Frederick IV, King of Denmark.
Between 1711 and 1830 the Villa had various owners and in 1830 it was bought by our family.
In 1667, the Grand Duke Cosimo III gave it to his brother, Cardinal Francesco Maria. The Cardinal, with the guidance of the architect Ferri radically restored the villa. This process of restoration and extension brought the villa pretty much to the present state with its decorative fountains, ponds, vases and lemon plants. The main facade dates to the 16th century. It is very simple preceded by a garden with a nymphaeum.
The prestigious fountain with caryatids was carved by Foggini and it is a twin of the more famous one in the Boboli Garden in Florence. There is a fantastic lemon tree greenhouse which is situated on the right of the garden. From the interior courtyard of the villa, decorated by a circular central pond, there are two large symmetrical stairwells that lead up to the splendid terrace that opens up onto Florence.
The terrace leads into a large room that was used as a granary or barn. Below the Villa, which now also is the headquarters of the estate, there are the wine cellars and the “orciaia”, with the ancient large terracotta vases used for storing olive oil produced in the surrounding.
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