MAIN ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE TOUR
The Medici Villas are the numerous country residences of the family, noted for their architectural features and their situation in the landscape. In 2014 all the Medici Villas were included in the World Heritage UNESCO list. The Castello and Petraia villas are in the neighbourhood of Florence and thanks to your AGT guide we shall explore the most ancient part of the Castello Medici villa, a mansion that Lorenzo the Magnificent purchased in 1477 and was subsequently enlarged by his cousins. Your AGT guide will also lead you out into the first example of Italian garden, designed by Cosimo I’s gardener, Tribolo, in the 16th century, with statues, grottoes, flowers and rare plants, that is still very well looked after. The villa is the headquarters of the Crusca Academy.
After Castello, your AGT guide will take you to explore the second Medici villa of Petraia, restructured by the talented architect, Bernardo Buontalenti, for his patron Ferdinand de’ Medici, out of the remains of a castle that had belonged to the Brunelleschi family. The visit starts in the elegant courtyard of the villa, with its Volterrano frescoes illustrating episodes from the Medici family history. Your AGT vuide will then lead you into the interior of the villa, to visit the various halls, that today bear witness to the Napoleonic era and the period during which king Victor Emanuel II used to stay there while Florence was capital of Italy. The villa is surrounded by an extensive park with magnificent flower-beds and a number of century-old trees.
Agt Firenze proposes solutions targeted at various types of tourist, that require specific care, both as regards planning the contents of the itineraries, such as, for instance, school excursions, as well as regards disabled visitors. If you require this kind of itinerary, we suggest you contact us directly so as to let us know exactly what kind of provisions you require, so that we can jointly plan your Florentine experience in the most advantageous manner.
