Private MEDICI VILLAS AND GARDENS

Please note: If you want to book this tour you must first request if it is available by sending a message via whatsApp at +393483146644. If we confirm availability you can buy it.

Florence keeps an exceptional artistic heritage which is a marvelous evidence of its aged culture. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence as well as Arnolfo di Cambio and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture; Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio forefathers of the Renaissance operated in Florence, Lorenzo Ghibertiand the Della Robbia worked in Florence, Filippo Lippi and Beato Angelico were based in Florence; Sandro Botticelli,Paolo Uccello made of Florence their home and the universal genius of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarrotiare surely the 2 names to which Florence is more commonly associated to.

Their works, together with those of many other generations of artists up to the artists of our century, are gathered in the several Florence museums of the town: the Uffizi gallery, the most selected gallery in the world and main Florence museum, the Palatina gallery with the paintings of the “Golden Ages”.

The Bargello national museum, once the political building of Florence with the sculptures of the Renaissance, the museum of San Marco with Angelico’s works, the Academy gallery, the chapels of the Medicis once the rulers of Florence,Buonarroti’s house with the sculptures of Michelangelo, the following Florence museums: Bardini, Horne, Stibbert, Romano, Corsini, The Gallery of Modern Art, The museum of the Opera del Duomo, the museum of Silverware and the museum of Precious Stones. Florence boasts many other great monuments and landmarks of its artistic culture: the Baptistry with its mosaics and the the incredible Paradise golden door; Florence Cathedral with its sculptures, the medieval churches with bands of frescoes; public as well as private palaces: Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Davanzati; monasteries, cloisters, refectories; the “Certosa“.

The archeological museum of Florence includes documents of Etruscan civilization.
In fact the Florence is so rich in art that some first time visitors experience the Stendhal syndrome as they encounter its art for the first time.

We invite you to join us in a marvelous discovery trip of the treasures of Tuscany. Our itinerary includes: Medicean Villa of Castello, Medicean Villa La Petraia, Medicean Villa Demidoff and Pratolino Park.

Our Driver/guide will pick you up at your hotel to head towards some of the most enchanted Villas and gardens in and around Florence. These are some of the 18 villas The Medici family, the so called “royal family” of Florence built during their political ruling as their summer residences. The Medici were the reason that such a magnificent scientific, artistic, philosophical, political Movement called Renaissance took place to make this city the craddle of Western civilization during the 14th and 15th hundreds.Leaving such a mark in the history of culture that still today millions of people come to visit Florence and wonder how has it been possible for such a number of geniuses to create so much beauty. We will head first towards Poggio a Caiano Villa.

Situated in a tranquil town just a few miles outside of town. This villa was ordered by Lorenzo il Magnifico, the greatest of the Medicis, to Giuliano Da SanGallo starting it in 1485. During the centuries it was the residence of many important rulers, Like Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister and King Victor Emanuel of Italy. Today it is a museum and belongs to the Italian state. Inside you will visit the immaculate rooms with frescoes by such great renaissance artists like Pontormo and Andrea del Sarto. The rooms where Francesco I and his wife Bianca Cappello died said to have been poisoned. The theater where famous XIXth hundred violin genius Niccolo’ Paganini performed while secretely courting Elisa Bonaparte. The Gardens are our next stop. Beautiful example of mixed italian and english style with perhaps a unique touch given by the lemons courtyard. We turn back on our steps to reach the beautiful Villa of Castello.

Bought in the late 15th century by the Magnificent Laurence. It is today the site of the office of the Italian Language heritage. It is not open to pubblic visits but our main destination is the outstanding italian garden. The most beautiful of them all. It is a terraced one, climbing up the hill for a number of three levels built in the early 16th century under the supervision of Niccolo’ Tribolo . Some of the wonderful statues include “Hercules and Anteo”and the bronze statue of “the Appennine” by the 15een hundred artist Bartolomeo Ammannati. It is half way to the top of the garden that the highlight of the garden is situated. The “Animals grotto”by Tribolo and Vasari.

A very richly decorated fountain inside the mount. It is made up of such advanced, water games created to entertain you Today as it did hundreds of years ago. Not too far from here is another magnificent villa: La Petraia. Built in the 13een hundreds for the Brunelleschi family it became a Medici residence in the 15een hundreds.We will visit the Fortress like villa and its gardens. If you decide to make it a full day, it is now time for lunch. We will take you to an exquisite trattoria (casual home made kitchen restaurant) under the cypresses and olive trees shade. For you to experience what kind of simple Peasant food the people back in the past centuries just like today fed upon to make a meal Much more than just a way of nourishment.

When you decide that your stomach cannot hold any more of those divine platters, We are ready for our next destination: Villa Gamberaia. After passing by the scenic panoramic town of Settignano we are in front of the XIVth Century villa. The gardens went through many changes during the centuries but it was in the XIXth that most of the creations were to take place. During WWII the gardens were completely destroyed and only thanks to a local patron they were rennovated to their present beauty.

It is now time to return to Florence not forgetting to take one last picture of this garden of Eden.