Like the Florentine countryside, the countryside surrounding Siena is scattered with historical villas, once the residences of the most important Sienese noble families. Most of them were built around the 16th century and are very different from Florentine villas, with their rational Renaissance structure, as if to underline once again the ancient rivalry that has always existed between these two important Tuscan cities.

Sienese villas follow, in fact, the baroque and flamboyant style dominating in Rome in the 17th century and many elements that are to be found in their gardens were typical of Roman architecture.

Wonderful examples of this new architectural style are Villa Catignano in Castelnuovo Berardenga, Villa Ginanneschi-Gori in Siena and Villa Cetinale in Sovicille.