Ville Medicee, a journey through the Tuscan Renaissance
A journey through the incredible Tuscan villas and their gardens
5 days / 4 nights - Travel idea
Suggested time: all year 2024 / possibility to combine it with an Opera at Teatro del Maggio in Florence
The Medici Villas and Gardens, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2013, were a true revolution of the concept of country residence. Italian-style gardens, fountains with water features, sculptures and flowerbeds replaced the austere fortresses, giving the Tuscan countryside an elegant new look, at the behest of the powerful Medici family. To complete the journey a night at the Opera for us in Florence in the elegant Teatro del Maggio.
A lovely stay in the wonderful Tenuta Artiminio, sleeping and relaxing in an ancient Medici-era estate, surrounded by the Tuscan hills, among vineyards and olive gardens. This is just the starting point of a journey full of magical and historical places worth to be visited.
From Villa Ferdinanda, also called "Villa dei Cento Camini", to Villa di Castello and Villa LaPetraia, this is a journey inside the beauty of the Reinassence era to be discovered through the art like the big collection of paintings hosted inside the "Museo della Natura Morta" and the wonderful gardens, perfect places where getting lost
Complete this interesting itinerary dedicating a special visit to Vinci, hometown of the genius of Leonardo, and a night to the Grande Opera combining the journey with a performance at Teatro del Maggio in the heart of Florence.
Block notes:
- Ville Medicee and the Italian Gardens - Medici's symbols of power: Villa La Ferdinanda, Villa di Castello, Villa Petraia and their wonderful gardens
- Opera - A night pf great music at Teatro del Maggio
- Leonardo da Vinci - From the Museo Leonardiano to Leonardo's House in the beautiful Vinci
Proposal for an indicative itinerary. The tour can be modified and adapted to any requests for further insights on topics chosen by the custom.
Day 1 - Arrival in Florence/Artimino
Arrival by own means and accommodation at the Tenuta Artimino Melia Collection 4*, (accommodation can be spread between hotel and flats in the hamlet).
Just a few kilometres from Florence, an ancient Medici-era estate surrounded by the Tuscan countryside, overlooking vineyards and olive groves. A magical place with rooms housed in a Renaissance building, flats in the medieval village of Artimino, swimming pool, spa, tennis court, gourmet restaurant and wine cellar. www.artimino.com
In the afternoon visit of Villa La Ferdinanda di Artimino. Overlooking the hills and vineyards of Montalbano, in a dominant position on the hillock that had already hosted a sacred area in Etruscan times, Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda di Artimino was built in 1596 at the behest of Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici and designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. Ferdinando I de' Medici, following the death of Francesco, renounced the cardinalate and tried to carry forward his brother's politics: it is said that he was affable and thoughtful, inclined to favor sectors such as agriculture, art and commerce.
The villa, born as a hunting lodge, was completed in only four years and represented a sort of link between the various landed properties of the family, a place for the humanistic otium of arts and poetry. The Ferdinanda is also called Villa dei Cento Camini, because of the numerous chimneys that protrude from the top of the building and make it unique.
Dinner in the estate restaurant and overnight stay.
Day 2 - Villa di Castello / Villa La Petraia
Breakfast in the hotel.
Departure by coach to Castello (22km).
Visit to the garden of Villa di Castello.
The Villa medicea Reale di Castello became part of the Medici family's property in 1477, thanks to Giovanni and Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco dei Medici, cousins of Lorenzo il Magnifico, who purchased it from the Della Stufa family. Here Marsilio Ficino educated the young Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco to the humanistic point of view, and for this Villa, Botticelli painted La Nascita di Venere and La Primavera, works later transferred to the Uffizi.
Light lunch in a selected restaurant.
In the afternoon visit to Villa Petraia.
The Villa stands with its unmistakable tower in a dominant position on the slopes of Monte Morello sloping towards the plain with a splendid view of Florence.
The south side overlooks the garden, which is laid out on three terraced levels exploiting the slope of the site: the Parterres level, the Vivaio level and the Figurina level. Despite the modifications made mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries, the garden still retains intact the geometric spatiality of the original 16th-century layout, which is due to Ferdinando I dei Medici, as seen in the bezel by Giusto Utens, today preserved, together with the other thirteen of the series, in the villa itself.
To the north, on the other hand, the romantic park, created in the 19th century at the behest of Leopold II of Lorraine, extends over several hectares. In the Savoy era, on the occasion of the celebrations for the engagement between the son of the King, Emanuele of Mirafiori and Blanche of Larderel, the courtyard was transformed into a ballroom with a glass and iron roof and the loggias, which are now open again, were closed.
Return to Artimino. Dinner in the estate restaurant and overnight.
Day 3 - Poggio a Caiano - Florence
Breakfast in the hotel.
Departure by coach to Villa di Poggio a Caiano (9 km).
It was designed by Giuliano da Sangallo for Lorenzo il Magnifico, as an example of Renaissance architecture that merged the lesson of the classics (especially Vitruvius) with characteristic elements of the Tuscan rural architecture. The lesson of Leon Battista Alberti is evident in it, both for the choice of the place on which the Villa stands, and for the search for symmetry and harmony of proportions. Situated on the top of the hillock and raised by the platform of the portico that accentuates its emergence, the villa stretching out towards the landscape stands as a symbol of man's ordering work on nature.
We will visit the villa, the Museo della Natura Morta housing around 200 paintings belonging to the Medici family, from the late 16th to the mid-18th century, and the garden.
Lunch in a selected restaurant. Return to Artimino and free time and relax.
Transfer by bus to Florence to attend an Opera/Concert at Teatro del Maggio.
At the end transfer to the hotel by bus and overnight.
Day 4 - Villa di Cerreto Guidi / Vinci
Breakfast in hotel.
Departure by coach to Villa di Cerreto Guidi (27 km).
Centrally located in Cerreto Guidi, in a dominant position, stands the mighty villa, built on the orders of the Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici as a hunting lodge and strategic checkpoint over the surrounding territory. The construction of the villa, erected using the materials of the ruined Rocca dei Conti Guidi and the second circle of walls, took place between 1564 and 1566 when the building is cited as "walled up again".
The villa partly owes its fame to the tragic story of Isabella de' Medici, who died in Cerreto on the night between 15 and 16 July 1576. Isabella, the favourite daughter of Cosimo I and Eleonora di Toledo, married in 1558 to Duke Paolo Giordano Orsini, and, according to the legend, she was strangled by assassins at the orders of her jealous husband.
Lunch in a selected restaurant
In the afternoon guided tour of Museo Leonardiano di Vinci and Casa Leonardo.
In Vinci, Leonardo was born and gained his first inspirations for his studies and pictorial works. The Museo Leonardiano presents one of the most extensive and original collections dedicated to the many interests of Leonardo technologist, architect, scientist, painter and, more generally, to the history of Renaissance technology.
We can admire: reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci's machines and inventions, scale models of his most famous paintings, scientific and artistic instruments used by the Maestro, and period objects and original documents relating to Leonardo's life and works.
Following, wine tasting in a wine cellar in the Vinci area.
Return to Artimino.
Free dinner and overnight.
Day 5 - Departure
Breakfast in the hotel and check-out of the rooms.
Departure by own means.
The visits order may change for operational needs without changing the content.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
It is possible to provide hotel accommodation in Florence or in other locations in the area (Villa Neroli in Campo di Marte – Meridiana Country Hotel in Calenzano etc.). The villas are located in small villages and some of them can only be reached by bus with a maximum of 25 seats.
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- 4 nights at Tenuta di Artimino in hotel’s room or flats in the hamlet with breakfast
- Guided Tours
- Entrances as indicated in the programme
- Ticket for Opera in Stalls or 3/4th category
- Dinners in restaurants belonging to Tenuta Artimino (drinks included)
- Light lunch on 7 and 9 June during the excursions (drinks included)
- Lunch in a restaurant in Poggio a Caiano (drinks included)
- Wine tasting in a cellar
PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- City tax per night to be paid on spot
- Meals not indicated in the programme
- Bus Transfers as suggested in the programme
- Tips, extras and everything not mentioned under 'the prices include'
- Additional/supplementary insurances
Day 1 - Arrival in Florence/Artimino
Arrival by own means and accommodation at the Tenuta Artimino Melia Collection 4*, (accommodation can be spread between hotel and flats in the hamlet).
Just a few kilometres from Florence, an ancient Medici-era estate surrounded by the Tuscan countryside, overlooking vineyards and olive groves. A magical place with rooms housed in a Renaissance building, flats in the medieval village of Artimino, swimming pool, spa, tennis court, gourmet restaurant and wine cellar. www.artimino.com
In the afternoon visit of Villa La Ferdinanda di Artimino. Overlooking the hills and vineyards of Montalbano, in a dominant position on the hillock that had already hosted a sacred area in Etruscan times, Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda di Artimino was built in 1596 at the behest of Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici and designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. Ferdinando I de' Medici, following the death of Francesco, renounced the cardinalate and tried to carry forward his brother's politics: it is said that he was affable and thoughtful, inclined to favor sectors such as agriculture, art and commerce.
The villa, born as a hunting lodge, was completed in only four years and represented a sort of link between the various landed properties of the family, a place for the humanistic otium of arts and poetry. The Ferdinanda is also called Villa dei Cento Camini, because of the numerous chimneys that protrude from the top of the building and make it unique.
Dinner in the estate restaurant and overnight stay.
Day 2 - Villa di Castello / Villa La Petraia
Breakfast in the hotel.
Departure by coach to Castello (22km).
Visit to the garden of Villa di Castello.
The Villa medicea Reale di Castello became part of the Medici family's property in 1477, thanks to Giovanni and Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco dei Medici, cousins of Lorenzo il Magnifico, who purchased it from the Della Stufa family. Here Marsilio Ficino educated the young Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco to the humanistic point of view, and for this Villa, Botticelli painted La Nascita di Venere and La Primavera, works later transferred to the Uffizi.
Light lunch in a selected restaurant.
In the afternoon visit to Villa Petraia.
The Villa stands with its unmistakable tower in a dominant position on the slopes of Monte Morello sloping towards the plain with a splendid view of Florence.
The south side overlooks the garden, which is laid out on three terraced levels exploiting the slope of the site: the Parterres level, the Vivaio level and the Figurina level. Despite the modifications made mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries, the garden still retains intact the geometric spatiality of the original 16th-century layout, which is due to Ferdinando I dei Medici, as seen in the bezel by Giusto Utens, today preserved, together with the other thirteen of the series, in the villa itself.
To the north, on the other hand, the romantic park, created in the 19th century at the behest of Leopold II of Lorraine, extends over several hectares. In the Savoy era, on the occasion of the celebrations for the engagement between the son of the King, Emanuele of Mirafiori and Blanche of Larderel, the courtyard was transformed into a ballroom with a glass and iron roof and the loggias, which are now open again, were closed.
Return to Artimino. Dinner in the estate restaurant and overnight.
Day 3 - Poggio a Caiano - Florence
Breakfast in the hotel.
Departure by coach to Villa di Poggio a Caiano (9 km).
It was designed by Giuliano da Sangallo for Lorenzo il Magnifico, as an example of Renaissance architecture that merged the lesson of the classics (especially Vitruvius) with characteristic elements of the Tuscan rural architecture. The lesson of Leon Battista Alberti is evident in it, both for the choice of the place on which the Villa stands, and for the search for symmetry and harmony of proportions. Situated on the top of the hillock and raised by the platform of the portico that accentuates its emergence, the villa stretching out towards the landscape stands as a symbol of man's ordering work on nature.
We will visit the villa, the Museo della Natura Morta housing around 200 paintings belonging to the Medici family, from the late 16th to the mid-18th century, and the garden.
Lunch in a selected restaurant. Return to Artimino and free time and relax.
Transfer by bus to Florence to attend an Opera/Concert at Teatro del Maggio.
At the end transfer to the hotel by bus and overnight.
Day 4 - Villa di Cerreto Guidi / Vinci
Breakfast in hotel.
Departure by coach to Villa di Cerreto Guidi (27 km).
Centrally located in Cerreto Guidi, in a dominant position, stands the mighty villa, built on the orders of the Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici as a hunting lodge and strategic checkpoint over the surrounding territory. The construction of the villa, erected using the materials of the ruined Rocca dei Conti Guidi and the second circle of walls, took place between 1564 and 1566 when the building is cited as "walled up again".
The villa partly owes its fame to the tragic story of Isabella de' Medici, who died in Cerreto on the night between 15 and 16 July 1576. Isabella, the favourite daughter of Cosimo I and Eleonora di Toledo, married in 1558 to Duke Paolo Giordano Orsini, and, according to the legend, she was strangled by assassins at the orders of her jealous husband.
Lunch in a selected restaurant
In the afternoon guided tour of Museo Leonardiano di Vinci and Casa Leonardo.
In Vinci, Leonardo was born and gained his first inspirations for his studies and pictorial works. The Museo Leonardiano presents one of the most extensive and original collections dedicated to the many interests of Leonardo technologist, architect, scientist, painter and, more generally, to the history of Renaissance technology.
We can admire: reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci's machines and inventions, scale models of his most famous paintings, scientific and artistic instruments used by the Maestro, and period objects and original documents relating to Leonardo's life and works.
Following, wine tasting in a wine cellar in the Vinci area.
Return to Artimino.
Free dinner and overnight.
Day 5 - Departure
Breakfast in the hotel and check-out of the rooms.
Departure by own means.
The visits order may change for operational needs without changing the content.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
It is possible to provide hotel accommodation in Florence or in other locations in the area (Villa Neroli in Campo di Marte – Meridiana Country Hotel in Calenzano etc.). The villas are located in small villages and some of them can only be reached by bus with a maximum of 25 seats.
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- 4 nights at Tenuta di Artimino in hotel’s room or flats in the hamlet with breakfast
- Guided Tours
- Entrances as indicated in the programme
- Ticket for Opera in Stalls or 3/4th category
- Dinners in restaurants belonging to Tenuta Artimino (drinks included)
- Light lunch on 7 and 9 June during the excursions (drinks included)
- Lunch in a restaurant in Poggio a Caiano (drinks included)
- Wine tasting in a cellar
PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- City tax per night to be paid on spot
- Meals not indicated in the programme
- Bus Transfers as suggested in the programme
- Tips, extras and everything not mentioned under 'the prices include'
- Additional/supplementary insurances
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