EXPLORING THE MEDICI VILLAS ON A TUSCAN JOURNEY

A camper itinerary in the province of Florence and not only

I got the chance to travel in Tuscany with a Laika camper, the Ecovip 645 van. After a delightful journey through the Florentine hills, occasionally getting lost on the winding country roads, I decided to park at the Hu Firenze Camping in Town facility. I chose to explore randomly, but if I had taken the highway, I would have exited at Firenze Sud and found the campsite just a short distance away. Although I refer to it as a “campsite”, these places are equipped with impeccable and almost Swiss-like organization, making it possible to enjoy pleasant moments of vacation. What makes it even nicer is the wide range of vacation solutions you can spot there: campers, caravans, tents and bungalow... Just as you are at a fair! Then, I decided to rent a bicycle and head towards the center of Florence. Riding along the Arno River, on the cycling path, is a unique travel experience. Arriving in the heart of the city, all the way to the Uffizi, while avoiding traffic and the crowds of tourists, adds charm to the visit of this city that remains an essential stop in any respectable trip to Italy! To escape the tourist crowds, however, I opted for a brief and relaxing pause at the Botanical Garden, located right in the center of Florence. Here, the University offers botanical courses on the use of plants in daily life.

My primary goal for the three days of this trip was to tour the Medici Villas, which are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These splendid residences were commissioned and curated by the Medici family at various moments in their long history as the “rulers” of Tuscany and Florence, becoming places of delight and beauty for the various illustrious family members. The history of the Medici Villas is fascinating, starting with Cosimo the Elder, who inaugurated Villa Careggi, passing through the Neoplatonic Academy and the Renaissance. Giovanni and Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco commissioned Botticelli for the famous Birth of Venus and Primavera at Villa Castello, where Cosimo the First created the first Italian-style garden, designed by Tribolo. Not only that, Francesco created a remarkable alchemical garden at Pratolino, and Ferdinando expanded Villa Petraia, a place of delights where the music of his wedding gave rise to a new musical conception thanks to the Camerata dei Bardi... Each

Villa has a unique history and reflects the personality of its inhabitants. These residences had to distinguish themselves from medieval fortresses dedicated to defense. During the Medici era, they were transformed into villas of refined living, places of pleasure and beauty as we know them today. Surrounded by gardens, the Villas were partly self-sufficient thanks to the cultivation of citrus fruits and the vegetable garden.

There were fish ponds, water features, and allegorical decorations meant to represent paradise on earth, with a meticulously geometric concept of order, even when evoking wild nature, as in the animal grotto at Villa Castello! Within the Medici Villas, one can admire marvelous frescoes that celebrate the deeds of the owners, such as in the courtyard of Villa Petraia, or lead guests along surprising paths of allegorical and alchemical nature, as in Pratolino, where incredible water-powered automatons played organs and animated extraordinary scenery, culminating in a banquet set up on a centuries-old oak tree.

What can I say? It is no wonder that this was the period of the Italian Renaissance, an era of lords and Popes patrons of great artists, a time of splendor and great conflicts that still resonate in the Villas beloved by the Medici! Finally, I’d like to offer some advise to travellers who want to visit Florence: follow my example and go to the Medici Villas. Let’s copy the Medici, who knew how to enjoy beauty and the finer things in life!

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