As the name suggests, the Medicean villas are villas situated in the province of Florence and in Tuscany that once belonged to the Medici family.

In Tuscany there are about 30 Medicean villas, but the most important from a historical and artistic point of view among those in the province of Florence are: Trebbio, Cafaggiolo, Careggi, Fiesole, La Petraia, Cerreto Guidi, Poggio Imperiale, Pratolino, Lappeggi, Ambrogiana, Forte Belvedere and Mezzomonte.

With the foundation of the Grand Duchy in the Modern Age, Florence became the capital of a vast territory, but the rulers of Tuscany and their court did not spend much time in town. In other states many palaces were built for the sovereigns and their entourage - just think about the Escorial in Madrid (Spain) or Versailles in Paris (France) -; in Tuscany, on the contrary, imposing architectural complexes - which have nothing to do with the humble peasant houses - were transformed into places where the seigneurs looked after state affairs and relaxed.

Surrounded by parks and gardens decorated with statues and ponds, the Medicean villas, with their frescoes and valuable furniture, are an example thereof.

After having visited the convent of the Oblate in Florence, to see how the Medicean villas looked in the origin, plan an excursion at the discovery of the villas in Florence and in its province.