One of the oldest country residences of the Medici family, Villa Castello is located in the vicinity of Florence, 10 kilometers from the historic center. These lands had belonged to the influential family since 1477, but the villa flourished during the period when it was owned by Cosimo I, the great-grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
At the age of 18, not without intrigue, he became the Duke of Tuscany and gave his residence the splendor that can still be seen today. The villa itself, built in the traditions of the Renaissance, is not particularly interesting and is also closed to visitors. But the park surrounding it amazes with its magnificence - which is exactly what its ambitious owner sought.
Each sculpture, grotto, or fountain was meant, allegorically or directly, to show the greatness of the Medici family. It is a pity that the project of the architect Tribolo was not fully realized after his death – the owner of the villa lost interest in it and turned to other projects.
Within the walls of this residence, even under its first owners, such masterpieces as Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" were created: before becoming world-famous, they adorned the walls of Villa Castello for 300 years. This saved the masterpieces from the religious bonfire that destroyed Botticelli's other works. Today they can be seen in the Uffizi Gallery.
In 2011, the villa was ranked among the ten best parks in Italy in a national competition. Admission to the park is free, but when setting out on an экскурсию one should remember that every second and third Monday of the month the residence is closed to visitors.
