Once the Villa Medici and its park in Pratolino were full of man-made marvels. Only a few have survived the test of time – but the most spectacular of them all.
Grand dukes of Tuscany, three popes and two queens of France: the Medici were one of the most influential dynasties in Italy during their heyday from the 15th to the 18th century, from which numerous dazzling personalities emerged. The epicenter of their power was Florence, through their patronage the city on the Arno became the metropolis of the Renaissance.
But even a grand duke needs a break from official business, so in 1568 Francesco I de’ Medici bought a large piece of land in Pratolino, a village a few kilometers north of Florence, in order to build a villa for himself and his then lover and later wife Bianca Cappello build and have a garden laid out.
Garden of Wonders
However, it is said to have been a garden by Medici standards. “Meraviglie” – i.e. miracle – was the name of the ingenious water features like an avenue, which formed an arbor surrounded by fountains opposite and through which one could walk without getting a drop. Architect Bernardo Buontalenti designed a veritable wonderland with mysterious grottoes, spectacular watercourses, statues and exotic plants for his eccentric client.
Today, only contemporary reports and illustrations tell of all the splendor, because after the Medici family died out in 1737, the property fell to the House of Lorraine. Franz Stephan – husband of Maria Theresa of Austria – visited his property in 1739. In his honor, the famous trick fountains are said to have fascinated visitors for the last time. Then they fell victim to their massive maintenance costs, which even exceeded the financial means of the Habsburgs.
The Giant’s Eyes
Although it is more than ten meters high, it is often overlooked by visitors to Villa Demidoff, as the property is now called after its last owner. We are talking about the monumental statue of the Apennines, the nearby Italian mountain range, created between 1579 and 1589 by the sculptor Giovanni da Bologna. Not only the artistic design of the figure, which seems to rise from the rock, caused the long construction time of “Giambologna’s” masterpiece: The giant is not only a statue, but also a building.
In the colossus there are rooms whose former magnificent decorations can still be guessed at today. In his hollow head, a water feature and a stove are said to have ensured that water or smoke streamed out of his eyes, depending on the mood of the master of the house. Or music, because there was room for several musicians. Visitors can go inside the giant on guided tours and view the park through its eyes. All in all, the marvel commissioned by Francesco I de’ Medici is said to have cost more money than the construction of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.