The Medici villas are a series of rural building complexes near Florence which were owned by members of the Medici family between the 15th century and the 17th century. Giusto Utens or Justus Utens (died 1609) was a Flemish painter who is remembered for the series of Medicean villas in lunette form that he painted for the third grand Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany The villas served several functions: they were the country palaces of the Medici, scattered over the territory that they ruled, demonstrating their power and wealth. A villa was originally an Upper-class Country house, though since its origins in Roman times the idea and function of a villa has evolved considerably They were also recreational resorts for the leisure and pleasure of their owners; and, more prosaically, they were the centre of agricultural activities on the surrounding estates.
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History
The first Medici villas were the Villa Medicea del Trebbio and that at Cafaggiolo, both strong fortified houses built in the 14th century in the Mugello region, the original home of the Medici family. Mugello is a landscape north of Florence in northern Italy. It is separated by the Santerno River's valley by the Futa Pass. In the 15th century, Cosimo de' Medici built villas designed by Michelozzo at Careggi and Fiesole, still quite severe buildings, but with additional recreational spaces: courtyards, balconies, and gardens. Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (September 27 1389 &ndash August 1 1464 was the first of the Medici political dynasty de facto rulers of Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi (1396 - 1472 was an Italian Architect and sculptor. The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Fiesole is a town and Comune of the Province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Lorenzo de' Medici spent long periods at the Villa medicea di Careggi. Lorenzo de' Medici (January 1 1449 &ndash 9 April 1492 was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Gradually, Florence became surrounded by a collection of Medici villas, with others in more distant parts of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Granducato di Toscana Magnus Ducatus Tusciae was a state in central Italy that existed from 1569 to 1859 replacing the Duchy of Florence By the end of the 16th century, there were at least 16 major estates, with at least another 11 of secondary interest (mainly agricultural or owned by the Medici family for a short time), together with a constellation of farms and hunting lodges throughout Tuscany. Giusto Utens painted a series of lunettes depicting the main Medici villas in the 17th century, which are now held by the Museo di Firenze com'era. Giusto Utens or Justus Utens (died 1609) was a Flemish painter who is remembered for the series of Medicean villas in lunette form that he painted for the third grand In architecture a lunette (French lunette "little moon" and also "glasses" is a half-moon shaped space either masonry or void
The last Medici villas were the Villa medicea di Montevettolini and the Villa medicea di Artimino, bought in 1595/6 by Ferdinando I while he was expanding the Villa medicea di Castello, Villa medicea La Petraia and Villa medicea dell'Ambrogiana.
The later villas are outstanding examples of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, and were often accompanied by gardens. Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe in which there was a Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical The garden at the Villa medicea di Castello, created for Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, was the first in Italy by Niccolò Tribolo, who later designed the Boboli Gardens for Cosimo's Florentine new residence, the Palazzo Pitti. Cosimo I de' Medici (June 12 1519 &ndash April 21 1574 was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574 reigning as the first Grand Niccolò di Raffaello di Niccolò dei Pericoli, called "Il Tribolo" (1500&ndash September 7, 1550) was an Italian Mannerist artist The Boboli Gardens, in Italian Giardino di Boboli, form a famous park in Florence, Italy, that is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating The Palazzo Pitti, in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance Palace in
Each significant member of the Medici family owned an estate. The Duke moved from one house to house. When in residence, the villa became a microcosm of the Medici court. For hunting, he could visit the Villa medicea del Trebbio, Villa medicea di Cafaggiolo or Villa medicea di Pratolino; reside at the Villa medicea dell'Ambrogiana in the spring; and move to the Villa medicea di Artimino, to while away the summer in its cooler elevated position.
After the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici in 1738, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Medici's assets, including their villas, were acquired by Francis, Duke of Lorraine (later Holy Roman Emperor). Gian Gastone de' Medici ( May 24, 1671 &ndash July 9, 1737) was the last Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany (1723-1737 Early life He was born in Nancy, Lorraine (now in France) the oldest surviving son of Leopold Joseph, duke of Lorraine and his wife The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states Today, some of the Medici villas are museums; others are occupied by institutions, and a few are owned privately, and often hired privately or used to stage public events. In 2006, the Italian government submitted the Medici villas for designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site [1]. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex
List
Major villas
- Villa Medicea del Trebbio (mid-14th century - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo (mid-14th century - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Careggi (1417 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Fiesole (1450 - 1671)
- Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano (1470 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Castello (1480 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Mezzomonte (1480 - 1482, 1629 - 1644)
- Villa Medicea La Petraia (first half of the 16th century - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Camugliano (c. The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The Villa Medici in Fiesole is the fourth oldest of the Villas built by the Medici family 1530 - 1615)
- Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi (1555 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Poggio Imperiale (1565 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Pratolino (1568 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Lappeggi (1569 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea dell'Ambrogiana (1574 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea La Magia (1583 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Artimino (1596 - 1738)
Minor villas
- Villa Medicea di Collesalvetti (1464 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Agnano (1486 - 1498)
- Villa di Arena Metato (c. Villa del Poggio Imperiale (English Villa of the Imperial Hill is a predominantly neoclassical former grand ducal 1563 - 1738)
- Villa di Spedaletto (1486 - 1492)
- Villa Medicea di Stabbia (1548 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea della Topaia (c. 1550]] - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Seravezza (1560 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Marignolle (1560 - 1621)
- Villa Medicea di Lilliano (1584 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Coltano (1586 - 1738)
- Villa Medicea di Montevettolini (c. 1595 - 1738)
Gallery
 Villa medicea di Castello |
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 Villa medicea La Petraia |
 Villa medicea di Poggio a Caiano |
 Villa medicea di Artimino |
 L'Appennino, Parco di Pratolino |
 Palazzo Mediceo di Seravezza |
In addition to their country villas, the Medici also occupied the following buildings in Florence:
- Palazzo Medici Riccardi (1444 - 1540, then used by less important members of the family until 1659)
- Palazzo Vecchio (1540 - c. The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The Villa Medici in Fiesole is the fourth oldest of the Villas built by the Medici family The Palazzo Medici, also called the Palazzo Medici Riccardi for the later family that acquired and expanded it is a Renaissance Palace located in The Palazzo Vecchio (IPA pronunciation vɛkio (Italian for Old Palace is the town hall of Florence, Italy 1560)
- Palazzo Pitti (1550 - 1738)
- Casino Mediceo di San Marco
and the Villa Medici in Rome. The Palazzo Pitti, in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance Palace in For the Medici Villas in Tuscany, see Medici villas. The Villa Medici is an architectural complex centred Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2
References
- Giardini di Toscana, foreword by Mariella Zoppi, Edifir, 2001
- Alidori Laura, Le dimore dei Medici in Toscana, Edizioni Polistampa Firenze,1995
- Lapi Bini Isabella, Le ville medicee. Guida Completa, Giunti 2003
- Mignani Daniela, Le Ville Medicee di Giusto Utens, Arnaud, 1993
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