Villa Medicea dell’Ambrogiana

In its oldest core, the villa was purchased by Ferdinando I de Medici, who began restoration work in 1587, initially entrusted to Raffaele Pagni and later to Gherardo Menichini, doubling the corner towers and giving it a regular geometric structure. Numerous renovations followed over the centuries, including the addition of a floor, as can be deduced from comparing the lunette by Giusto Utens from 1599 with the painting by Giuseppe Zocchi from 1744. The park-garden, which extended to the riverbank, was remarkable, featuring a Mannerist grotto with water features, created by Giovan Battista Ferrucci known as il Tadda, adorned with bas-reliefs depicting river, fauna, and floral subjects.
From 1886 until early 2017, the Villa housed Italy’s first Criminal Asylum, later transformed into a judicial psychiatric hospital. Currently, access to the building is not possible.

The park is located on the left bank of the Arno, in one of the city’s most scenic spots, and houses the Medici Villa within it.

In its oldest core, the villa was purchased by Ferdinando I de Medici, who began expansion work in 1587. Numerous other renovations followed over the centuries, including the addition of a floor and the Vasari-style corridor that connected the main body of the villa to the Church. The park-garden, which extended to the riverbank, was remarkable, featuring a Mannerist grotto with water features, adorned with bas-reliefs depicting river, fauna, and floral subjects. From 1886 until early 2017, the Villa housed Italy’s first Criminal Asylum, later transformed into a judicial psychiatric hospital. Currently, access to the building is not possible.

Nestled in the Ambrogiana park is the Church of SS. Quirico, Lucia, and Pietro D’Alcantara. The Church, founded by Cosimo III in 1678, was created from the union of three buildings, the oldest of which was the church of San Quirico, united with Santa Lucia since 1482. The facade features a reproduction of the Cruz de Caravaça, considered miraculous, while on the left side of the nave is the miraculous Crucifix from the school of Baccio da Sinibaldi. In the sacristy, there is a sculptural masterpiece of 17th-century Florentine art, the Christ at the Column, executed by Michelangelo Naccherino for Cosimo II. Near the convent is the Friars’ Garden, where flowers and food products were cultivated.