Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany
Twelve villas and two gardens spread across Tuscany bear witness to the influence that the Medici family had on modern European culture through their patronage of the arts. Built between the 15th and 17th centuries, the villas represent an innovative system of architecture in harmony with nature, dedicated to leisure, art and knowledge. The villas embodied an innovative form and function, a new type of royal residence, distinct from the farms owned by wealthy Florentines and the military power of the baronial castles of the time. The Medici villas are the first example of the link between architecture, gardens and environment, becoming a lasting reference for royal residences in Italy and Europe. Their gardens and integration with the natural environment helped foster an appreciation for the landscape characteristics of the humanist and Renaissance periods.