The Medici Villa Artimino in the province of Prato
If you are looking for a villa in Tuscany and you are passionate about history and architecture, choose one of the properties on offer on our site and visit the medieval towns, the countryside and the historic mansions of greater importance, including the Villa La Ferdinanda in Artimino .
The villa is located in Artimino in Carmignano in the Prato province. It was Ferdinando I de' Medici to ask for the construction of the villa. He called the architect Buontalenti for the project. The architect had worked on the construction of many other properties of the Medici family, and he was very old by that time. In fact, Buontalenti did not work on the site but gave the work to Santi Maiani and Gherardo Mechini. Buontalenti just directed and advised them. The work lasted only four years and was completed in 1600, giving us one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Tuscany. Another name given to this property is the Villa of the Hundred Chimneys for the high number of chimneys it has, all with different shapes. A wide double staircase adorns the front entrance.
Inside the villa there are 59 rooms and halls. Domenico Passignano and Bernardino Pocetti frescoed some rooms, including the living room, the chapel and apartments. The subjects chosen were mainly mythological and an identification of the virtues Ferdinando had, real gifts of the artists to the owner. The works of Titian and Caravaggio have been moved to the Palatine Gallery and to the Uffizi.
The park was huge and a 50 km long wall delimited the property. The Villa of Artimino was at the center of this vast hunting reserve. Part of the area was wooded and partly agricultural. Today on the lower floor of the villa there is the Archaeological Museum of Artimino. Villa La Ferdinanda was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is open to the public on various days of the week. You can book a guided tour if you want to discover the secrets of the villa and its park with a local tour guide.
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