Villa Medici at Poggio a Caiano

Villa Medici at Poggio a Caiano is located a few kilometers from Florence, in the province of Prato ant it is easily reachable by bus from the station of Santa Maria Novella.

Built by Giuliano da Sangallo for the will of Lorenzo the Magnificent on an area belonged to the historical Florentine families of Rucellai and Strozzi, the villa of Poggio a Caiano has seen in years the alternation of various artists including Filippino Lippi for the fresco in the loggia on the first floor, Andrea Sansovino in the pediment majolica, Andrea del Sarto, Alessandro Allori and Pontormo for the realization of the beautiful cycle of frescoes that decorate the walls of the Salon of Pope Leo X.

In addition to the villa and the park, you can visit the Museum of still life, inaugurated in June 2007, which boasts a number of paintings on a time span ranging from sixteenth to the eighteenth century. If you do not have time to visit both, my advice is to see the villa, one of the most beautiful among the Medici villas that I have ever seen.