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This villa is in Bivigliano in Vaglia, on a plateau overlooking the hills between Florence and Mugello. It’s a private historical residence (associated with ADSI – “Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane”) built on the remains of an ancient castle dating back to the XI century, it belonged to the Cattani family from Cercina, then to the Ginori family at the end of the XVI century. It was allegedly designed by Bernardo Buontalenti.
In the mid-XIX century, the estate was purchased by Cavalier Luigi Pozzolini, who made it his family residence. The villa features a sober and elegant main façade with the beautiful XVII century balconied-portal and, in the centre, the French window decorated with a shell.
An avenue crossing a large English lawn, surrounded by two rows of monumental cypresses, leads to the main entrance. On the back, the villa overlooks an Italian garden, facing Florence, made by two terraces: on the second one, there is a pomerium – a typical feature of the XVI century gardens of the Medicis.

The villa is surrounded by a large park of 30 acres, transformed and enlarged by the Pozzolini family in the mid-XIX century; it houses redwoods, silver firs, cypresses, pines, oaks and cedars, while it is crossed by a large, straight central avenue. The latter starts near a stone gate and stretches down to a small clearing, in the middle of which a circular hedge surrounds the remains of a fountain. Then, the ground begins to climb until reaching a large rustic stone cave, with a fountain and a terrace with a balustrade above it – reachable via an internal spiral staircase.

In the mid-XIX century, the park was transformed and enlarged by the Pozzolini family, who enriched it with an interesting collection of exotic plants.

The villa and the garden can be visited on special occasions, like the “Visits to the Gardens of the Villas of Fiesole and Vaglia” event, organized by the Union of the Municipalities of Fiesole and Vaglia, with the collaboration of the Museums of Fiesole and AIAPP (Italian Association of Architecture of the Landscape).

Villa di Bavigliano is available for weddings, receptions, gala dinners, business lunches, exhibitions and concerts, films and photoshoots, conferences and private functions. Weddings can also be celebrated here with a civil ceremony, as it is also the headquarters of the Civil Status Office.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)