Medici Villa and Garden of Castello

The Medici Villa di Castello, in the hills of Florence, is also called Villa Reale and it is one of the oldest country residences of the Medici family, who acquired it in 1477.

The Villa takes its name from the castellum cistern, part of the ancient Roman aqueduct that was found here. The Villa was Cosimo I’s favourite and he had it restored by Tribolo beginning in 1537. 

Declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site, the magnificent Villa has been the home of the Accademia della Crusca since 1966 and is therefore open to visitors only during special occasions.

Open to the public is the extraordinary Garden, designed in 1538 on the commission of Cosimo I and considered a prototype of the 16th-century Italian garden.