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Villa La Massa dates back to the XVI century – the time of the Medici family – and was built on the banks of the Arno river, a few miles south of Florence and at the very gates of the Chianti region.
More than 400 years ago, Santi Landini, a famous publisher from the local aristocracy, decided to build his own summer residence on the banks of the Arno River.
The Villa remained the property of the Landini family until 1788 when it was purchased by Cardinal Giovanni Rinuccini. After several changes of ownership and some modifications, it was transformed by the Sears family into a charming hotel in 1953.
Since then, many famous guests have stayed at Villa La Massa, including Gregory Peck, Winston Churchill, Barbara Hutton, Elisabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, just to name a few.
In 1984, all the three buildings of the complex – the noble villa, the old mill from the 1400s and the small residence – were transformed into luxury hotels. Villa d’Este Group eventually bought it in 1998, and since then the whole property has undergone several major renovations.

A large ornamental garden is still under construction, featuring hedges and roses, as well as an agricultural-naturalistic area with an olive grove in a meadow of wildflowers. This area will also include a double border of perennial herbaceous plants blooming in succession, mostly featuring peonies and iris.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)