Official Information
Official website: https://cultura.gov.it/luogo/giardino-della-villa-medicea-di-castello
Online tickets: https://www.coopculture.it/it/prodotti/biglietto-giardino-della-villa-medicea-di-castello
Address: Giardino della Villa Medicea di Castello, via di Castello 44, 50141 Firenze (FI), Italy
Map: View on Google Maps
Opening Hours
Monday closed; Tuesday–Sunday 08:30–16:30 from November to February (last entry 16:00), 08:30–17:30 in March and October (last entry 17:00), and 08:30–18:30 from April to September (last entry 18:00); closed on 25 December and possibly during severe weather alerts, so always double-check times on the official site or CoopCulture before visiting.
A visit typically begins in the lower parterre, where beds of roses, peonies and seasonal flowers are framed by low box hedges and stone balustrades. At the center stands the dramatic Fountain of Hercules and Antaeus, surrounded by statues that once belonged to an even more elaborate water theatre. Climbing higher brings you to the celebrated Grotta degli Animali, an artificial grotto lined with shells and colored stone, where sculpted animals and restored water games recreate the sense of wonder Renaissance guests would have felt. Beyond lies the shady “selvatico,” later remodeled as an English-style park, with a large cistern basin and Ammannati’s bronze figure of the Appennino. One of Castello’s signatures is its extraordinary citrus collection: hundreds of historic lemon and orange trees (around a thousand plants) in terracotta pots, many descended from Medici varieties, which spend summer lining the paths and winter in the historic limonaie. There is also the small secret “Ortaccio” garden filled with aromatic herbs and the Stufa dei mugherini, a warm greenhouse built for a rare jasmine from Goa. Paths are gravel and can be steep in places, so comfortable shoes help. In return, you get classic Renaissance perspectives over perfectly ordered greenery and long views to Florence and the Arno plain, all for a modest ticket (around €5 full price, with combined passes if you also visit nearby Villa La Petraia and other Medici villas).