Villa Demidoff, Villa "la Petraia", Villa di Castello

Program:
Part: 900 with bus and guide. Return to hotel around 1800.

Villa Demidoff

The spell of the immense park of Villa Pratolino, today Villa Demidoff, which Francesco 1st intended for the fairy-tale residence of his beloved Bianca Cappello and which he decorated with ingenious fountains.

Villa Medicea della Petraia

This beautiful square villa, surmounted by a Medieval tower with a jutting rampart, came to The Medici only after 1530. Buontalenti restructured it on commision by Ferdinando 1st. The splendid garden develops on three levels: geometrical Italian garden on the lowest, a great fish-pond and then the Villa it's-self with a hanging garden. It is possible to visit almost all of the principle areas which still contain period furniture and paintings. In the courtyard it is possible to admire the fabulous frescoes by Volterrano which represent the pomp and circumstance of The House of The Medici.

Villa Medicea di Castello

Historical fortified seat (XII XIII centuries), it was restructured numerous times in the succesive centuries. After having become the property of the brothers Lorenzo and Pierfrancesco de'Medici (cousins of Lorenzo The Magnificent) it gained it's actual aspect in the course of the 1500s thanks to the intervention of Tribolo and Buontalenti. Tribolo also realised the beautiful garden which, with the park, is the only area accesible area today. Since 1974 the villa has been the seat of the Crusca Accademy responsible for the compilation of the Italian Vocabulary.

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