The Medici Villa L`Ambrogiana
The Villa Medici L'Ambrogiana is located in Montelupo Fiorentino, in the province of Florence. The villa overlooks the whole valley and is easily recognizable with its four towers.
The Villa Medici L'Ambrogiana is named after the Ambrogi family, the former owners of the country house built on this hill. The house originally had two towers. In 1573 Ferdinando I bought the estate and decided to enlarge. The location of the villa was ideal for the Medici family travelling from Florence to Pisa. In addition, the large estate allowed to hunt without any problems, thanks to its proximity to the properties of the Medici villas Artimino, Poggio a Caiano, Montevettolini and Villa La Magia. The renovation and enlargement of the main building was entrusted to Raffaele Pagni, an architect colleague Buontalenti. Probably Buontalenti participated in the project and the works, but there are not documents that prove the collaboration between the two architects.
Ferdinando I decided to double the towers, thus creating four towers at the four corners of the building and four entrances on all four sides. In the painting by George Utens you can also admire the garden, now disappeared. The garden in past centuries arrived to the border of the river Arno. In the eighteenth century, Cosimo III raised of a floor the villa and called Andrea Scacciati and Bartolomeo Bimbi to redecorate the rooms inside. The favorite subjects for Cosimo III were exotic plants and rare animals. According to historians, Cosimo III used this villa for animal experiments and quite bizarre crossings: a sheep and a calf with two heads are depicted in a museum in Poggio a Caiano.
In 1820, Leopoldo II decided to transform the villa into a nursing home. It was designed by Giuseppe Cantagallina.
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A selection of our most requested villas in the area:
Luxury villa sleeping 8 a few kilometres from Gambassi Terme, in the heart of Florence countryside. Garden, swimming pool, hydromassage, Internet connection. Tennis court, riding stable and golf club nearby. Possibility of organising horseback and mountain-bike rides in the neighbourhood.
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Villa for holidays on the hills of the Florentine countryside. Accommodation for 12+2 people, garden, private swimming pool, hydro massage, Internet connection.
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Villa with annexed cottage sleeping 6 in Valdisieve, near San Godenzo (Florence). Garden, barbecue, whirlpool swimming pool, air conditioning, Internet connection. A few kilometres from Lake Bilancino and the National Park of Casentino Forests.
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Small villa sleeping 6 near Reggello, in Valdisieve, just a few kilometres from Florence. Swimming pool, Internet connection, air conditioning. Cooking lessons, dinners and guided tours are organised upon request.
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