Lajatico | The Medici Villa of Spedaletto

The villa (now a private property) has crossed the centuries undergoing substantial changes so as to be today an eclectic example of different architectural styles. Probably born as a Roman fortification, it owes its name to the fact that it was a shelter, “Spedale” for pilgrims run by the Knights of Tau of Altopascio, and then granted in 1496 to Lorenzo il Magnifico (the Magnificent).

To the Medici we owe the substantial renovation and expansion, which transformed the original building into a large elegant villa, hunting lords of Lorenzo, who entrusted the embellishment of the interior to some of the best painters of his time, such as Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi, Pietro Perugino and Botticelli.

Giorgio Vasari tells of splendid frescoed halls but we can only imagine how they looked to the eyes of the guests of the Medici because a fire destroyed them almost completely.

Since 1606 it has been owned by the Corsini family, whose coat of arms stands out on the facade.