The Medici Villa Castello in Florence
On this page we are happy to give you some information about the Villa Medici at Castello in the province of Florence. The villa is now the seat of the Accademia della Crusca.
The Villa Castello is one of the oldest streets Medici. In 1477 the property was sold to Lorenzo and Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, and they began the renovation of the existing fortified villa in 1427. Subsequently, the property passed to Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, Maria Salviati's husband and Cosimo I de' Medici's father. Cosimo spent his childhood in this house and, for this reason, in 1537, after defeating the Republican rebels, he devoted himself to the embellishment of the entire property of the Castello.
The vila is also called “Il vivaio” or “L’Olmo” (the nursey and the elm) as a lot of importance was given to the garden. The park in fact becomes an allegory of the importance of the Medici dynasty. It was in the garden of Villa Castello that in 1538 began the idea of gardens as political propaganda and symbol of power for the owning family. This concept was reaffirmed during the Renaissance in Italy and Europe.
The garden is divided into two parts: the lower part complies with a geometric design , while the upper has a more wild landscape. In the lower garden there is the Fountain of Hercules and Antaeus, carved by Niccolò Tribolo and his helper Pierino da Vinci between 1538 and 1548 , and with statues of Hercules and Antaeus in bronze made by Bartolomeo Ammannati in 1560. The Citrus Garden has housed since 1500 a large collection of various specimens of citrus and it is characterized by fountains and jets of water from the ground. The Cave of Animals is also called Grotto of the Deluge thanks to the beautiful fountains. It was begun in 1538 by Tribolo and completed by Vasari in 1580. Among the elements to be mentioned, the Unicorn shows the idea of peace by Cosimo I and the statue of Orpheus his ability to peacemaking. Through a doorway we reach the Ortaccio, a walled garden with a building of the eighteenth century called the Stufa del Mugherini, double jasmine tree Indian Goa. In the upper garden there is the Apennines, a bronze sculpture by Bartolomeo Ammannati from 1565, the fountain from which the water comes out and irrigates the garden below .
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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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