Pratolino Medici Park
The Medici estate, home to Giambologna’s colossal statue
A green space a few kilometers from Florence, one of the largest parks in Tuscany and since 2013 also one of the Tuscan UNESCO World Heritage sites.
This is Pratolino Medici Park, the verdant estate near Vaglia and the perfect destination for a day trip. The estate was purchased in 1568 by Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici, who commissioned Buontalenti to convert it into a villa. Left derelict by Ferdinando III and Leopoldo II, the villa was demolished and its grounds restructured as English gardens.
The park can be visited today, with glimpses of artificial grottos and fountains, and sculptures like the Apennine Colossus, the famous statue/fountain by Giambologna, Cupid’s grotto, the Mugnone fountain and the chapel, designed by Buontalenti in 1580.
You can walk for kilometers in the park along unpaved paths, narrow roads and trails in a wonderful natural habitat.
