Italian gardens and Tuscan villas | Accademia del Giglio

Villas and gardens in the Renaissance

This 20-hour course is held only on one-to-one tuition basis and aims at explaining the importance of the villas in the cultural life of the Renaissance period.

Lessons at school will introduce the student to the historical events and to the most significant artistic works which marked the 15th and the 16th in Italy. Guided visits to the main Medici’s villas will integrate the school lectures.

During the week students will attend 5 lessons (1 hour each) and take at least 5 excursions to ancient villas or historical gardens (2-3 hours each per visit).

The program

Lesson 1. Brief History of the Italian garden
The painted garden: how artists represented the garden in their works.

Lesson 2. The garden in the middle age: the cloister
The garden in the monastery and in the castle. Visit to the cloister of Santa Maria Novella church.

Lesson 3. The 15th century and Michelozzo
The public architecture designed by Brunelleschi and the private architecture by Michelozzo. Visit to Palazzo Medici Riccardi.

Lesson 4. Michelozzo and the Medici’s villas
The Medici family and their villas on the outskirts of Florence. Visit to the Villa Medicea di Careggi.

Lesson 5. The Leon Battista Alberti canon: The Italian style garden
Giuliano da San Gallo and the commissioning of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Visit to the Villa di Poggio a Caiano.

Lesson 6. Mannerism and Tribolo
The fanciful work by Tribolo. Visit to the Villa Medicea di Castello.

Lesson 7. The garden of the royal palace: Boboli
Three architects for a garden: Tribolo, Ammannati, and Buontalenti. Visit to the Boboli gardens.

Lesson 8. The park of wonders: Pratolino
Buontalenti and Giambologna. Visit to Pratolino Park.

Please note: the program may be subject to some slight variations.