Just a few kilometres from Florence lies an extraordinary sixteenth-century estate of immense historical and architectural significance.
In the 1500s, this estate was owned by the influential Francesco del Giocondo family; Francesco was the husband of the famous Mona Lisa, also known as "La Gioconda."
The estate later came into the possession of the Antinori family, thus earning its name, Villa Antinori di Monte Aguglioni. Over the centuries, it changed hands several times until it reached its current owners.
This magnificent estate spans 27 hectares, encompassing gardens, tree-lined avenues, and a vast forest. The property includes the main villa and numerous ancillary buildings such as a caretaker's house, agricultural structures, a private chapel, a swimming pool, and a tennis court.
There are two entrances to the estate. The main and original entrance features an imposing iron gate that opens onto a grand cypress-lined avenue leading to a garden with ornamental plants and tubs.
This garden was designed by the renowned English architect Cecil Pinsent, who transformed it into a park-like space with roses, tall trees, and symmetrical flowerbeds. From the garden, a double staircase leads to the villa's entrance.
The main villa covers an area of 2,800 square metres and is composed of three floors above ground level and a basement. The ground floor features an entrance loggia, a large hall, five lounges, a dining room, a hallway, a kitchen, a service entrance, two bathrooms, a storage room, and a technical room.
The basement includes three large halls, a gallery opening to the park, a kitchen, a dining room, two storage rooms, two bathrooms, three technical rooms, and a cellar.
The first floor houses the sleeping quarters with five bedrooms, including one with a panoramic antique iron veranda, three wardrobe areas, five bathrooms, a splendid library, a storage room, and a balcony overlooking the main front.
The second floor comprises two additional bedrooms, a fitness room, a study, two bathrooms, and a large terrace called "dell'orologio," offering a stunning view of the Florence plain.
The mezzanine floor contains staff quarters, pantries, laundries, ironing rooms, and additional service rooms, along with a separate residential unit and agricultural premises. All floors are connected by both stairs and an elevator.
The villa's private chapel, characterised by a polygonal plan, exemplifies seventeenth-century religious architecture typical of prestigious residences of the time. Additional structures on the property include three buildings used as an orangery, greenhouse, garage, and technical rooms, along with the caretaker's house and various agricultural buildings.
The current appearance of this splendid property, marked by an elegant clock on the front, was commissioned by Marchesa Nathalie Antinori in the early twentieth century. She enlisted the help of her brother, the architect Egisto Paolo Fabbri, a renowned Cézanne collector, for significant restoration work.
To see more, please visit: https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-2945-t2cxrq/via-della-prata-scandicci-fi.
All photo credits go to: Italy Sotheby’s International Realty
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