The villa is one of the largest and most elegant residences in the area of the San Casciano Hills, near Florence. Known in the past as the “queen of all villas”, it appeared on record as early as 1427 bearing the name of “Poggio Torselli”. It was the property of some of the most remarkable patrician families in Tuscany:Macchiavelli, Corsini, Strozzi,Antonori, Capponi and Orlandini,who owned the villa until 1722. The villa’s prestigious status drew many important figures, among whom Pope Pius VII – who stopped over on his way to Paris to crown Emperor Napoleon in 1804 – and Paul I, Emperor of Russia.Today the villa is a national monumentVilla Poggio Torselli blends in beautifully with the surrounding fields planted with olive groves, vineyards and cypresses – the symbols of the land of Tuscany. In fact, the grand avenue that leads to the main entrance of the villa is lined with cypresses. The perspective enhances the main facade,elegantly animated by two vertical mouldings outlining the central block and crowned by a gable with the statues of the Four Seasons.The theme of the seasons can be found again also inside the villa in the form of frescoed decorations in the large rooms, depicting the alternation of seasons and the gifts they bear. Ornamental waterworks, flower beds, hedges, an alternation of views and heights:the Villa’s garden. Respecting the original 18thcentury layout of the garden, the typical plants of that period have been planted and the original irrigation system made out of stone – one of the bestpreserved in Tuscany – has been restored. The garden maintains its charm all year round thanks to the rotation of seasonal plants:old roses, aromatic plants, annuals, perennials.
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