The Villa Martelli in Florence
Villa Martelli is located in Gricigliano around Bagno a Ripoli in the province of Florence. The coat of arms of the Martelli family is characterized by a bright red color on which there is a golden griffin. The griffin is a mythological animal with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle.
The original house had a moat and defensive walls. It belonged to the Order of the Captains of Orsanmichele. In 1478 the property was taken by Niccolo d'Ugolino Martelli, who enlarged it and made it more sumptuous. In addition to the main house, the villa also had three farms called Casacce, Olmo and Brucoli. In the sixteenth century the fortress house began to take on the appearance of a farm house with also the moats changed into nurseries.
In the seventeenth century the family started to beautify the park. They built a grotto, an arch and a fountain with mosaics and a relief with a pelican and its little ones. In the eighteenth century there were major changes with the construction of a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph and a cave with important decorations in ceramics and porcelain.
What makes this house unique is the relationship between the fishpond at multiple levels and the facade of the building. The waterworks in fact create a path and unexpected perspectives of the surrounding landscape. The fountains and channels of the fishpond were derived from the moat. Inside the villa there are rooms with decorations including one painted with landscapes and properties of the Martelli family. The central courtyard is a hub of the villa. Particularly interesting is the presence of an ancient theater from the seventeenth century with also a balcony.
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