VILLA MEDICI

Discover Fiesole

The tradition of the Medici Villas located on the outskirts of Florence, began in the mid-fifteenth century when, according to the writings of Vasari, the architect Michelozzo, assisted by Rossellino and Antonio Manetti, builds and adapts to Cosimo the Elder, the Cafaggiolo Villa, Careggi, Trebbio and Fiesole. The latter was built between 1458 and 1461 and is the most famous and best preserved of the Ville and is also called " Belcanto " or " Palagio di Fiesole ".

The Villa Medici in Fiesole was destined to second son of Cosimo, Giovanni, died shortly after its completion, he went to Lorenzo the Magnificent , who made ​​a literary cultural center, frequented by humanist philosophers Marsilio Ficino , Pico della Mirandola and Angelo Poliziano poet , humanist and Italian playwright who we know from some of his writings in 1478 praising the beauty and splendor of the garden of the villa.

The harmony between the exterior and interior proportions of the Villa (which refers to the concepts of geometry and music), and the focus on "all those advantages and pleasures with regard to ventilation, exposure to the sun and the view ", allows adherence to the dictates of the work edificatoria own architect Leon Battista Alberti . These precautions have indeed emerged the hypothesis that the building fiesolano was born on project of 'Alberti instead of Michelozzo and identifying the "Musa" prototype of the Renaissance villa that inspired many other residences of the fifteenth century, not only Florence.

The Villa is a perfectly successful attempt to integrate building and surrounding space, since the landscaping stepped assume the role of all the architecture protagonists. A beauty entrusted mainly for crop plant preciousness and to open volumes characterized by large walls. The garden is set on three levels that slope; the first, on the facade of the villa has been treated with gravel and lemon trees in pots, the second, on the rear face of the Villa is reached by a staircase inside the building and the third longitudinally aligned to the first, although lower, was placed according to the classical criteria of formal gardens built in more recent times.

Famous the fresco of Domenico Ghirlandaio in 1480, in which he portrays the Villa Medici in Fiesole and the beautiful location in which it is located; The fresco is now kept at the Tornabuoni Chapel in Santa Maria Novella.

The Villa is not open to being a private residence, but you can still admire the magnificent Italian garden by appointment.

For information and visits contact the Reception.