Medici Villas near Florence

The Medici family constructed villas on the hillsides overlooking Florence so they might escape the summer heat of their city palaces. They made use of the available area to surround these with lavish gardens designed at the height of the Renaissance style.

Tourists are welcome in three of these gardens. A typical Renaissance garden with parterres, terraces, fountains, box hedges that are well maintained in geometric shapes, and other architectural elements surrounds Villa Gamberaia. The gardens, a popular topic for garden historians, were called "Probably the most perfect example of the art of producing a great effect on a small scale..." by Edith Wharton in her book Italian Villas and Their Gardens. Visit the adjacent Villa la Petraia while you're there for good views of Florence from its terraced gardens and rows of orange trees. The Medici Villa di Castello, which is a short distance to the west of it, has an air filled with jasmine and other fragrant plants. The elaborate grotto with mosaics and animal sculptures is thought to be the work of court architect Giorgio Vasari.