"A Visit to the Medici Villa of Castello: Exploring a Hidden Gem in the Hills of Florence"

Hi, dearest friends,

In the end, yesterday, which was Sunday, I basically didn't do anything. Last week was quite hectic, so I decided to do some things at home and tidy up a bit. However, I realized that I had forgotten to share with you some photos that I took at a place that's probably not very well known to tourists, located in the hills of Florence. I'm talking about the Medici Villa of Castello, one of the oldest country estates of the Medici family. I don't think the Medici family needs an introduction since they're very famous worldwide as the family of the Italian Renaissance.

I visited this place almost by chance because I had to meet a client somewhere nearby, so I took the opportunity to drop by. I was a bit disappointed, though, because I thought I could also visit the interior, but they explained to me that the villa's interior can be visited only on certain occasions or by booking a guided tour, which they organize very rarely since it's the headquarters of the Crusca Academy and other associations. From what I understood, it's used as an office space.

So, I was only able to visit its park, which I must say is quite an enchanting place and a beautiful spot to visit. I was probably lucky to see it during the best season—spring—when all the flowers were blooming, including some gorgeous tulips, which you can see in the photos.

There are the classic Italian gardens, typical of every Medici villa, with precise geometries, flower beds, fountains, and statues, all arranged in a symmetrical manner. For me, seeing this was quite interesting and probably struck me more than the flowers, since, as you know, I'm not a huge flower enthusiast.

The most fascinating spot in the park, in my opinion, was this grotto called Buontalenti's Grotto, an artificial cave, as you can guess, constructed in the 16th century and decorated with all these bizarre animals. What really stands out is how the walls are decorated with shells and fake stalactites. For those who don't know, this was the fashion of the time—to recreate these artificial grottos, which were likely used for parties, especially since, from what I understood, by that period, the Medici were no longer the owners of this villa.

Continuing my walk, I stumbled upon a small grove with a pond, where there was also a statue decorating this part of the park. But what disappointed me a bit was that I had read about a small labyrinth, which was another trend of the time, designed as a fun game to entertain visitors. I couldn't find it, perhaps it was closed or not accessible, in my opinion.

In the end, I have to say it was a great experience. These Medici villas are beautiful, although I did find some parts not very well maintained. They're probably also not very popular with tourists because they're located in the hills of Florence. I think that most tourists stick to the city and the Uffizi Gallery and don't venture up here.

I hope you found my photos interesting, and I'll see you in my next post soon!