Villa del Poggio Imperiale, Florence

This 17th-century villa stands on the Imperial Hill, so called because of its connections with the imperial D'Asburgo family through the Grand Duchess Maria Magdalena, wife of Cosimo II de' Medici and sister of the Emperor Ferdinand II. The original building designed by Parigi was altered during the 18th and 19th centuries by the designs of Paoletti, Poccianti and Cacialli, who created a neo-classical style which was particularly welcomed by the Grand Duchess. In the second half of the 19th century it was used as an educational center. Now under state control, only some ground floor rooms of the villa may be visited, namely those containing paintings by Matteo Roselli and other 17th-century Florentine painters, which depict subjects chosen by the Grand Duchess D'Asburgo. On the top floor, however, a room of Albertolli statues may also be visited. Please telephone for an appointment.