Hidden Gems of Italy: Villa Demidoff (Florence)

Villa Demidoff is the modern name of what remains of the Medici Villa of Pratolino, whose construction began in the 16th century. The villa, located in the town of Pratolino, in a rugged area at the foot of the Apennines, half an hour from Florence, was designed by Bernardo Buontalenti for Francesco I de’ Medici, the future Grand Duke of Tuscany. 

Built to rival Villa d’Este, Villa Pratolino was meant to represent the utmost princely luxury and the park surrounding it was to be no less magnificent, with water fountains and grottoes, exquisite plants and flowers. 

Unfortunately, when Francesco I and his second wife Bianca, for whom the grand duke had built the property, died, the villa and park were abandoned and fell into disuse.  

It was only in the second half of the 19th century that the park and buildings were restored, by the Russian Prince Paolo II Demidoff, who subsequently gave the name to the property. In 1981, the city of Florence acquired it and turned it into a public park. It is open on weekends, May to October.

The park that surrounds the villa, although stripped of several of its statues over the centuries, is one of the most beautiful and vast in all of Tuscany.

Among the monuments dating back to the Renaissance that survive, the most impressive is the massive statue of the ‘Colossus of the Apennines' by the Flemish sculptor Giambologna. The stone statue is approximately 11 meters high and was meant to represent a personification of the Apennine Mountains. It has the appearance of an old man crouched on the shore of a lake and is surrounded by numerous mythological characters.

The park overall still houses some original works and artifacts by Buontalenti, such as the Chapel, Cupid's cave, the stables, Villa Paggeria, plus two Italian gardens in the Medici part and a Romantic-style garden-landscape, the result of 19th-century interventions. Those looking for a break from city life can also find several peaceful walking paths. 

The villa is part of UNESCO’s serial site ‘Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany,’ which comprises 12 villas and two gardens spread across the Tuscan landscape.