| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
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| Official name | Villa del Trebbio |
| Location | San Piero a Sieve,Tuscany, Italy |
| Criteria | Cultural |
| Endangered | No |
| Coordinates | 43°57′11″N11°17′12″E / 43.95306°N 11.28667°E /43.95306; 11.28667 |
  Location of Villa del Trebbio in Tuscany  Villa del Trebbio (Italy) Show map of Italy | |
TheVilla del Trebbio is aMedici villa inSan Piero a Sieve,Tuscany, Italy.
The villa is located nearSan Piero a Sieve in theMugello region, in theprovince of Florence, in the area from which theMedici family originated. It was one of the first - if not the first - of theMedici villas built outsideFlorence.[1] The estate is situated on a strategic position in theApennines, on the top of a hill dominating theVal di Sieve, near a crossroads (giving rise to its name, from theLatintrivium).
The villa belonged toGiovanni di Bicci de' Medici, the founder of theMedici bank and of the fortunes of the Medici family. Following his death in 1429, it was remodelled by his son,Cosimo de' Medici, whose architect,Michelozzo, restyled it as a fortified castle. Michelozzo retained the windowless tower, moat and drawbridge, and added a perimeter walkway withcorbels. There is a central courtyard with a well.
The villa remained essentially a fortified house, but various features indicate its secondary purpose as a place of pleasure, including an earlywalled garden, built on two terraces beside the villa. The upper terrace has a stonepergola, with a double row of columns; a similar pergola has disappeared from the lower terrace. The garden was a place of retreat for Cosimo, away from the troubles of politics in Florence, where he could tend his fruit trees.
On the other side of the villa stands a chapel. The villa was surrounded by woods and an agricultural estate, bordering that of theVilla Medicea di Cafaggiolo.
In the sixteenth century the villa was enlarged byCosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, who enjoyed hunting in the estate, and his sonFerdinand I.Ferdinand II sold the estate to a wealthy Florentine, Giuliano Serragli, in 1644, who gave it to theOratorians.
The garden to the front of the villa, with roses andbox hedges, was laid out in the twentieth century.
As of 2008, it belongs to a private individual who uses the property to produce fine wines.Wine tasting and tours are available to interested groups in English and Italian.
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