On the hills between Chianti and Valdarno, not far from Montevarchi and Gaiole, a 17th-century period villa with botanical park. The property (over 1,200 sqm) was recently renovated by the current owner and is in excellent condition: the original finishes have been preserved and enhanced and the buildings now house various flats for a total of 11 bedrooms. The botanical park of 29,400 sqm (of considerable historical and naturalistic importance) surrounding the villa is the perfect setting for events and exhibitions.
Basic services can be found in the nearby mediaeval village (900m; 2'), while for other necessities it is sufficient to reach Montevarchi (9km; 15'). From here, the A1 motorway reaches Florence in less than an hour. Florence international airport is also about an hour's drive away.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS, STATE AND FINISHES
The manorial villa (765 sqm – 8,231 sqft, 8 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms) covers a total of three floors and has been divided into three apartments (the main one on the ground floor and two additional apartments on the first floor). In the basement are the historical cellars of the building.
- Master apartment: entrance hall, dining room, kitchen, reception hall, private lounge, office, master bathroom, two bedrooms with en-suite bathroom and service room;
- Apartment N°1: large living room with dining area, kitchen, sitting room, bedroom with en-suite bathroom, bedroom with exclusive sitting room and bathroom;
- Apartment N°2: entrance hall (also accessible from outside), living room with dining area, kitchen, three bedrooms and bathroom.
The villa dates back to the 17th century and has been owned over the centuries by important Tuscan families, each of which has left its mark on the building. To this day, after three centuries of restoration and remodeling, only the central rooms on the ground floor remain as evidence of the villa's original appearance. The style of the building, following work carried out by one of the owners at the end of the 19th century, is what is commonly known as “eclectic Victorian”. The interiors, recently renovated according to the vision of the owner (a well-known Tuscan architect and designer), still feature the beautiful frescoes typical of stately homes, characterized by floral and geometric motifs with trompe-l'œil architecture. These frescoes, which had been covered with plaster over the years, were brought back to light during the last restoration: originally, there were four representations of the seasons, but two walls were demolished in the 19th century to enlarge the rooms and half of the pictorial cycle was therefore lost.
This is complemented by the beautiful original terracotta floors (perfectly preserved) and wooden doors that harmonize well with the rooms.
The outbuilding (270 sqm – 2,905 sqft, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms) is divided into two apartments (one on each floor) plus a garage and an underground storage room.
- Apartment N°3: entrance hall, living room, dining room with kitchenette and pantry, utility room, bathroom and bedroom with en-suite bathroom and private walk-in wardrobe;
- Apartment N°4: large living room with kitchenette and dining area, two bedrooms and shared bathroom.
The property is completed by two storerooms (respectively 60 sqm – 646 sqft and 80 sqm – 861 sqft, the largest of which was converted from the old stables for animals) and a convenient garage (30 sqm – 323 sqft) with a canopy to shelter up to four cars.
EXTERIORS
The villa is immersed in a lush botanical park of 29,400 sqm (7.2 acres), originally created by the lawyer Giuseppe Gaeta, a great lover of plants and gardens. More than 160 species of plants from all corners of the world, but particularly from North America, were planted here. In fact, the park holds the distinction of being the first place in Italy to host a specimen of Douglas fir.
The current owner, a well-known architect and designer, has further enha
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