A few tips for places to visit just beyond Florence's townwalls.

In the place called Castello, not far from Florence going towards Sesto Fiorentino, are two Medici Villas called Villa di Castello and Villa della Petraia. The Villa di Castello was restored for Cosimo 1st de' Medici who commissioned Tribolo to design and build the beautiful Italian Gardens.The interior of the Villa, headquarters of the Accademia della Crusca, is not open to the public.

Just a short distance away is the Villa della Petraia; the Medici ordered Buontalenti to remodel it in the 16th century. The villa, frescoed by Cosimo Daddi (1591-94) and Volterrano (1636-48) was the residence of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Italy. The villa has a large Italian garden and a huge roamtic park in the back.

Settignano is a small village that grew up on the hillside north east of Florence; it can be reached by a panoramic drive along the hills from Fiesole.

Gabriele D'Annunzio lived here in the Villa La Capponcina. Not far is the well known Villa Gamberaia, whose gardens are considered among the loveliest in Europe and offer unforgettable views of Florence.

Just 2 kilometers south of Florence rises the austere, fortress-like Certosa del Galluzzo.

Founded by Niccolò Acciaiuoli in the 14th century to host young Florentines wanting to study the liberal arts, today it is inhabited by a community of Cistercian Benedectine monks. It contains several important artworks including five lunettes with "Scenes from the Passion" frescoed by Pontormo (1523-25).

On the via Bolognese, in a place called Pratolino is the Villa Demidoff Park. Little remains of the splendid villa that Buontalenti built for Francesco 1st de' Medici in 1575.
The park, that has been completely restored, is opened from April to October and is a wonderful place to visit outside the city. Giambologna's monumental statue of the "Appennines" (1579-89) is an outstanding example of Florentine Mannierism.



Just below the green hill of Fiesole is the park of Villa Il Ventaglio. Originally conceived for the private villa built by the architect Giuseppe Poggi for the Archinto family between 1839 and 1853, the park includes a small Romantic lake with a tiny island and a bridge.
The large avenues are wide enough to take carriages.

For further outdoor proposals look here