Villa di Castello
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The Villa di Castello, near the hills bordering Florence, Tuscany, central Italy, was the country residence of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1519-1574). The gardens, filled with fountains, statuary, and a grotto, became famous throughout Europe. The villa also housed some of the great art treasures of Florence, including Sandro Botticelli's Renaissance masterpieces The Birth of Venus and Primavera. The gardens of the Villa had a profound influence upon the design of the Italian Renaissance garden and the later French formal garden.
Lunette of Villa di Castello as it appeared in 1599, painted by Giusto Utens
The villa and garden of Villa di Castello in July 2013
Cosimo I de Medici, 19 years of age, at the time he was building the gardens of Villa di Castello (Jacopo Pontormo, c. 1538)
The villa and gardens seen from the upper garden. The garden plan was based on harmony and order, the principles upon which Cosimo planned to rule Florence.
Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, nicknamed the Popolano, was an Italian banker and politician, the brother of Giovanni il Popolano. He belonged to the junior branch of the House of Medici of Florence.
Pallas Athene Taming a Centaur.
Allegory of Spring.
The Birth of Venus.