The Medici Villas
The “Medici Villas” are the numerous countryside residences of the Medici family, renowned for their architectural and landscape value. In 2014, all the Villas were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Castello and Petraia
Villa di Castello and Villa La Petraia: These two Villas are located in the outskirts of Florence, and with your AGT guide, you will discover the oldest part of the Medici Villa of Castello—a palagio purchased and expanded in 1477 by the cousins of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
The visit will continue outside, where in the 16th century Cosimo I commissioned Tribolo to create the first example of an Italian-style garden, featuring statues, grottoes, flowers, and rare plants—still very well preserved today. The villa now hosts the Accademia della Crusca.
Next, your AGT guide will lead you to discover the second Medici Villa, Villa La Petraia, designed by the brilliant architect Bernardo Buontalenti for Ferdinando de’ Medici, and rebuilt on the remains of a castle once owned by the Brunelleschi family.
The visit will begin in the elegant courtyard of the Villa, frescoed by Il Volterrano with scenes from the lives of Medici family members. Inside, your AGT guide will show you the various rooms, true testaments to the Napoleonic era and to King Victor Emmanuel II, who loved to stay here during the years when Florence was the capital of Italy.
The villa is also surrounded by a large park with centuries-old trees and magnificent flowerbeds.
Poggio a Caiano
Your AGT guide will take you to discover the Villa of Poggio a Caiano, a Medici residence that was once a fortress and later a country house of the Strozzi family. It was rebuilt by Giuliano da Sangallo for Lorenzo the Magnificent, featuring architectural elements inspired by classical antiquity. It was here, in 1587, that Francesco I and Bianca Cappello died.
It preserves extraordinary frescoes by Andrea del Sarto, Franciabigio, Pontormo, and Alessandro Allori, and houses the Still Life Museum, featuring evocative paintings commissioned by the Medici for their country residences.
The Medici Villa of Cerreto Guidi
The visit to the Medici Villa of Cerreto Guidi offers the opportunity to discover its history and impressive architecture. It was built by Buontalenti for Cosimo I in a commanding position overlooking the village and is characterized by the imposing ramps known as the “Medici Bridges”.
In 1576, the daughter of the Grand Duke, Isabella de’ Medici, died here. After passing into private ownership, the villa was donated to the State and is now home to the Museum of Hunting and the Territory.
A picturesque passage connects the villa to the parish church of San Leonardo.
