Medici Villa di Careggi

The Medici Villa di Careggi, in Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was purchased by the Medici family in 1417 and restructured based on plans designed by Michelozzo, on the commission of Cosimo the Elder.

It was Lorenzo the Magnificent’s favourite home, which he turned into the headquarters of the Platonic Academy. The Villa was a gathering place for men of letters, philosophers and artists. In a nutshell, it became the cultural center of the Early Renaissance.

In the sixteenth century, Cosimo I had it decorated by artists such as Pontormo and Bronzino (the art has since been lost), while in the seventeenth century Cardinal Carlo de’ Medici undertook a restyling, which led to the impressive frescoed hall on the ground floor, the frescoes in the first-floor loggia and the Grotticina, decorated with paintings of mythological figures and vines.
The garden was restored by Giulio and Alfonso Parigi, the architects who also worked in the Boboli Gardens.

The Villa is currently closed for restoration. The reopening to the public is scheduled for late 2026.