Official Information
Official website: https://museitoscana.cultura.gov.it/luoghi_della_cultura/villa_medicea_della_petraia/
Online tickets: https://ticketing.coopculture.it/catalog/41F4750D-33C2-8659-7B66-0199B875FE9E
Address:Villa Medicea della Petraia, Via della Petraia 40, 50141 Firenze FI, Italy
Map: View on Google Maps
Opening Hours
Opening hours (always double-check the official website before you go, as times can change): from November to February the garden is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 16:30 (last entry 15:30) and the villa (guided visits only) is accessible Tuesday to Sunday with visits at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:00; from April to September the garden and park are open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 18:30 (last entry 17:30) and the villa (guided visits only) can be visited Tuesday to Sunday at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00; in October and March the garden and park are open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 17:30 (last entry 16:30) and the villa (guided visits only) is open Tuesday to Sunday with visits at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00.
The Medici Villa of Petraia sits on the slopes of Monte Morello, just outside Florence, with a wide view over the city and its dome. It began as a fortified medieval residence, recognizable today in the tall tower that still rises above the complex. In the 16th century Cosimo I de’ Medici bought the property and gave it to his son Ferdinando, who transformed the rough “stony” terrain into an elegant suburban retreat. Extensive earthworks created a sequence of terraces that frame the villa and its gardens, turning a defensive structure into a model Tuscan country house.
Outside, the Italian garden is one of the highlights. It is organized on three main levels that follow the slope of the hill. The upper terrace is lined with parterres and low hedges, the middle level was traditionally used as a nursery with basins and citrus trees in terracotta pots, and the lowest level is devoted to orchards and geometric beds. From the top terraces you get classic postcard views over the garden designs and the skyline of Florence. To the north, a 19th century romantic park stretches away, with winding paths, large trees and more informal landscaping, added when the Habsburg-Lorraine and later the Savoy family used Petraia as a royal residence.
Inside, the heart of the villa is the central courtyard, later covered with a glass and iron roof and used as a ballroom. Its walls are decorated with two important fresco cycles. One, by Cosimo Daddi, shows the deeds of Godfrey of Bouillon during the First Crusade, linking the Medici to chivalric ancestors. The other, by Baldassarre Franceschini known as Volterrano, celebrates Medici triumphs and alliances, including their queens of France.
Petraia also preserves key works of sculpture connected to other Medici residences, moved here for protection. The most famous is Giambologna’s bronze Venus-Fiorenza, once the centerpiece of a fountain at the Villa of Castello, now sheltered inside. Another important piece is Ammannati’s bronze group of Hercules and Antaeus.
Today the villa is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany”. Guided visits lead you through furnished rooms that still reflect the tastes of the Medici, the Lorraine grand dukes and King Victor Emmanuel II, who chose Petraia as one of his favorite homes. Combined with the peaceful gardens and easy reach from Florence, it is a perfect half day for travelers who want a quieter, more local feeling side of the city.