Villa Medici, Poggio a Caiano. Poggio a Caiano is a town and comune in the province of Prato, Tuscany region Italy.
The town, birthplace of Philip Mazzei, lies 9 kilometres south of the provincial capital of Prato. Poggio a Caiano has two sister cities: Charlottesville, Virginia.
Agounit, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Villa di Poggio a Caiano In 1473, a ruined fortified house at Poggio a Caiano called the Ambra, and land and a mill owned by Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai, were bought by Lorenzo de' Medici.
Initially, only agricultural improvements were carried out; then in 1485, work began on the villa itself, to designs by Giuliano da Sangallo, who created a large fortified, quadrangular country house built around a central courtyard. A large central hall gave access to rooms with windows overlooking the surrounding countryside; at the time, this design was innovative.
On Lorenzo's death in 1492, the villa was still largely unfinished; however, work resumed under Lorenzo's second son, Giovanni, who became pope as Leo X. The central hall is named after this first Medici pope. In the following century, the Villa di Poggio a Caiano was used by successive Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany. In 1587, Bianca Cappello and Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany died there within a day of one another after short illnesses; raising the still unsolved question of their poisoning by Francesco's brother Ferdinand, who
The town, birthplace of Philip Mazzei, lies 9 kilometres south of the provincial capital of Prato. Poggio a Caiano has two sister cities: Charlottesville, Virginia.
Agounit, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Villa di Poggio a Caiano In 1473, a ruined fortified house at Poggio a Caiano called the Ambra, and land and a mill owned by Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai, were bought by Lorenzo de' Medici.
Initially, only agricultural improvements were carried out; then in 1485, work began on the villa itself, to designs by Giuliano da Sangallo, who created a large fortified, quadrangular country house built around a central courtyard. A large central hall gave access to rooms with windows overlooking the surrounding countryside; at the time, this design was innovative.
On Lorenzo's death in 1492, the villa was still largely unfinished; however, work resumed under Lorenzo's second son, Giovanni, who became pope as Leo X. The central hall is named after this first Medici pope. In the following century, the Villa di Poggio a Caiano was used by successive Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany. In 1587, Bianca Cappello and Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany died there within a day of one another after short illnesses; raising the still unsolved question of their poisoning by Francesco's brother Ferdinand, who
Wikipedia ...