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This villa is in the municipality of Barberino di Mugello, north of Florence. In the past, it was among the most important residences in the history of the Medici family – one of the most famous in Europe and a true protagonist of Italian history from the XV to the XVIII century.

THE VILLA

In the mid-XV century, Cosimo the Elder, a skilled politician of the Republic of Florence, asked the Renaissance architect Michelozzo to renovate an ancient medieval fortress from its foundations.
The ancient castle was thus transformed into a sumptuous country house. The two turrets and the fortified structure with the moat and the drawbridge were preserved, while the large garden and one of the most famous hunting lodges around the villa belong to a much more prominent Renaissance style. The structure soon assumed the triple role of defensive military structure, an administrative centre, and place for rest and recreation.

The new villa was the favourite summer residence of Lorenzo the Magnificent (an Italian politician, patron and humanist, lord of Florence from 1469 to his death) who transformed it into a popular gathering venue for several intellectuals of the time, including Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, and Angiolo Poliziano.

In the last years of the XV century, one of the most famous ceramic workshops of the Renaissance was established right here, in an area adjacent to the current stables.
At the end of the XVII century, the villa started to pass into the hands of many famous families, including that of the Lorraine (who equipped it for the newly-born postal service), and the Borghese, who operated some radical changes: they demolished the rear turret, buried the moat and opened a large arch in the surrounding walls for a new monumental access way.
In recent decades, the castle has become the occasional venue for ceremonies, receptions and conferences.

THE GARDEN

The natural environment surrounding the villa included the wood and the ragnaia (a grove with tall trees fitted with nets to catch small birds), the trapezoidal garden, and the flat area on the right. The garden was surrounded by a wall and housed six rectangular flower beds bordered by hedges, a niche fountain, and, in the foreground, a “green” pavilion – a sort of plant architecture already typical of the XV century. Being so close to the Sieve River, the garden was equipped with a boat landing, called the “port of Cafaggiolo”. In the garden, the original divisions and the fountains have unfortunately disappeared, while there are still some centuries-old trees.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)