The Medici villas are a series of rural building complexes in Tuscany which were owned by members of the Medici family between the 15th century and the 17th century. The villas served several functions: they were the country palaces of the Medici, scattered over the territory that they ruled, demonstrating their power and wealth. They were also recreational resorts for the leisure and pleasure of their owners; and, more prosaically, they were the centre of agricultural activities on the surrounding estates. In 2013, the Medici villas were added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.

History

The first Medici villas were the

Villa del Trebbio The Villa del Trebbio is a Medici villa in Tuscany, Italy. Description The villa is located near San Piero a Sieve in the Mugello region, in the province of Florence, in the area from which the Medici family originated. It was one of the first ...

and that at

Cafaggiolo The Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo is a villa situated near the Tuscan town of Barberino di Mugello in the valley of the River Sieve, some 25 kilometres north of Florence, central Italy. It was one of the oldest and most favoured of the Me ...

, both strong fortified houses built in the 14th century in the Mugello region, the original home of the Medici family. In the 15th century,

Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth ...

built villas designed by

Michelozzo Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi (1396 – 7 October 1472) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Considered one of the great pioneers of architecture during the Renaissance, Michelozzo was a favored Medici architect who was extensively empl ...

Careggi The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, central Italy. History The villa was among the first of a number of Medici villas, notable as the site of the Platonic Academy founded by Cosimo de' Medici, w ...

and Fiesole, still quite severe buildings, but with additional recreational spaces: courtyards, balconies, and gardens. Lorenzo de' Medici spent long periods at the

Villa di Careggi The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, central Italy. History The villa was among the first of a number of Medici villas, notable as the site of the Platonic Academy founded by Cosimo de' Medici, ...

. Gradually, Florence became surrounded by a collection of Medici villas, with others in more distant parts of the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...

. By the end of the 16th century, there were at least 16 major estates, with at least another 11 of secondary interest (mainly agricultural or owned by the Medici family for a short time), together with a constellation of farms and hunting lodges throughout Tuscany. Giusto Utens painted a series of

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...

s depicting the main Medici villas in the 17th century, which are now held by the Villa La Petraia. The last Medici villas were the Villa di Montevettolini and the

Villa di Artimino A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

, bought in 1595/6 by Ferdinando I while he was expanding the

Villa di Castello The Villa di Castello, near the hills bordering Florence, Tuscany, central Italy, was the country residence of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1519-1574). The gardens, filled with fountains, statuary, and a grotto, became famous thro ...

, Villa La Petraia and

Villa dell'Ambrogiana A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

. The later villas are outstanding examples of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, and were often accompanied by gardens. The garden at the Villa di Castello, created for

Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...

, was the first in Italy by Niccolò Tribolo, who later designed the Boboli Gardens for Cosimo's Florentine new residence, the Palazzo Pitti. Each significant member of the Medici family owned an estate. The Duke moved from house to house. When he was in residence, the villa became a microcosm of the Medici court. For hunting, he could visit the

Villa di Cafaggiolo The Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo is a villa situated near the Tuscan town of Barberino di Mugello in the valley of the River Sieve, some 25 kilometres north of Florence, central Italy. It was one of the oldest and most favoured of the Me ...

or Villa di Pratolino; reside at the

in the spring; and move to the

, to while away the summer in its cooler elevated position. After the death of

Gian Gastone de' Medici Gian Gastone de' Medici (born Giovanni Battista Gastone; 24 May 1671 – 9 July 1737) was the seventh and last Medicean Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was the second son of Grand Duke Cosimo III and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans. His sister, Elect ...

in 1737, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Medici's assets, including their villas, were acquired by

Francis Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural M ...

, Duke of Lorraine (later

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

). Francis only visited Tuscany once in 1739 and for the next twenty six years the villas were neglected. Consequently when Leopold I inherited the duchy in 1765 many were in a poor state and were disposed of. The remainder continued in use by the Lorraines until 1860 when Tuscany was absorbed into the new Kingdom of Italy. The House of Savoy opted to sell all but two of the remaining Medici villas (La Petraia & Poggio a Caiano), which remained in their possession until the end of the monarchy in 1946. Today, some of the Medici villas are museums; others are occupied by institutions, and a few are owned privately, and often hired privately or used to stage public events. In 2006, the Italian government submitted the Medici villas for designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. At the 37th UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2013 at Phnom Penh, "Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany" was added to the World Heritage list.

List

Villas and gardens on the UNESCO list

Twelve villas and two gardens comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site: * Boboli Gardens * Gardens of Pratolino * Palazzo di Seravezza *

* Villa di Cerreto Guidi *

Villa La Magia Villa La Magia is a Medici villa in the comune of Quarrata, in the province of Pistoia, to the west of Florence, in Tuscany in central Italy. It was built by the Panciatichi family in the fourteenth century, and was bought by Francesco I d ...

* Villa La Petraia *

Villa Medici in Fiesole The Villa Medici is a patrician villa in Fiesole, Tuscany, Italy, the fourth oldest of the villas built for the Medici family. It was built between 1451 and 1457. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed as Medici Villas and Gar ...

Villa di Poggio a Caiano The Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano, also called Ambra, is one of the most famous Medici villas and is located in Poggio a Caiano ( Prato). Today it is state owned and it houses two museums: one of the historic apartments (ground floor and firs ...

Villa del Poggio Imperiale Villa del Poggio Imperiale (English: Villa of the Imperial Hill) is a predominantly neoclassical former grand ducal villa in Arcetri, just to the south of Florence in Tuscany, Central Italy. Beginning as a villa of the Baroncelli of Florence, ...

Major villas

(mid-14th century - 1738) #

(1417 - 1738) #

(1450–1671) #

(1470–1738) #

(1480–1738) #

Villa di Mezzomonte A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

(1480–1482, 1629–1644) # Villa La Petraia (first half of the 16th century - 1738) # Villa di Camugliano (c.1530 - 1615) # Villa di Cerreto Guidi (1555–1738) #

(1565–1738) # Villa di Pratolino (1568–1738) #

Villa di Lappeggi A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

(1569–1738) #

(1574–1738) #

(1583–1738) #

(1596–1738)

Minor villas

# Villa di Collesalvetti (1464–1738) # Villa di Agnano (1486–1498) # Villa di Arena Metato (c.1563 - 1738) # Villa di Spedaletto (1486–1492) #

Villa di Stabbia A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

(1548–1738) # Villa della Topaia (c.1550 - 1738) # Palazzo di Seravezza (1560–1738) # Villa di Marignolle (1560–1621) #

Villa di Lilliano A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

(1584–1738) # Villa di Coltano (1586–1738) # Villa di Montevettolini (c.1595 - 1738)

Gallery

File:Villa di careggi 02.JPG,

File:Villa di poggio a caiano 11.JPG,

Image:Appennino.jpg, LAppennino'', Parco di Pratolino Image:Palazzomediceoseravezza.JPG, Palazzo di Seravezza File:Villa medici di belcanto, veduta 00.JPG, Villa a Fiesole Villa di artimino, esterno 01.jpg,

In addition to their country villas, the Medici also occupied the following buildings in Florence: * Palazzo Medici Riccardi (1444–1540, then used by less important members of the family until 1659) *

Palazzo Vecchio The Palazzo Vecchio ( "Old Palace") is the City hall, town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of Michelangelo's ''David (Michelangelo), David'' statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent ...

(1540 - c.1560) * Palazzo Pitti (1550–1738) *

Casino di San Marco The Casino Mediceo di San Marco is a late-Renaissance or Mannerist style palace located on Via Cavour number 57 and via San Gallo in Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. History At a palace at the site, Lorenzo di Medici had used structures as a ...

and the Villa Medici in Rome.

References

External links

Gardens and Villas of Tuscany official website

{{Medici villas and gardens in Tuscany, state=collapsed World Heritage Sites in Italy