Once a year the Italian Association of Historic Dwellings (ADSI) presents the opportunity to visit historic properties throughout the entire country. The organization, with its mission to unite owners of these properties, fosters the knowledge and appreciation of Italy’s cultural heritage. Sometimes called Italy’s largest open-air museum, villas, castles, palaces, stately homes and gardens, protected by the state, can be enjoyed by the public for free with reservations.
Many of these sites are in small villages and rural areas and provide employment in servicing the tourism sector as they offer accommodations, dining and agricultural and viniculture jobs. By showcasing these properties, the national ADSI raises awareness of the role that historic houses play in the socio-economic make-up of Italy.
This year on Sunday, May 25 the province of Florence invites visitors to explore the gardens of some of its unique properties, many of them not normally open to the public.
The GIARDINO D’INVERNO DI VILLA RONDINELLI in San Domenico invites visitors to enjoy the Winter Garden. Perched on a hillside overlooking Florence and the Arno valley this 20th century garden of the modernistic home is enclosed by hedges and oleanders with exotic plants and the fragrant scent of jasmine. Often used for photo shoots and fashion shows, this is a special opening to the public. A walk from San Domenico on ancient Via Vecchia Fiesolana, a steep and winding road bordered by stone walls, could enhance the experience for hardy hikers. Otherwise, an easier access is the 15-minute walk down from Piazza Mino in Fiesole (Via Bandini, 15. Visiting hours 10 am -1 pm).
The hamlet of Bivigliano hosts the VILLA DI BIVIGLIANO, a perfect example of a 16th century villa built in the style of Bernardo Buontalenti. Set on a hillside surrounded by lush forests, fields of grain and cypress trees, the impressive front lawn flanked by rows of cypress and natural environment gives the visitor a sense of calm and relaxation. Inside the villa, typical Renaissance design with beamed ceilings and terracotta tiles floors add a touch of rustic appeal enhanced by elegant but simple interior furnishings. But the Italian Renaissance garden is the jewel of this residence. A large park filled with oaks, sequoias, cypresses, pines, cedars and exotic plants leads to a terrace with an orchard, which leads down another level to the panoramic terrace affording vistas over the surrounding landscape. The current residents, the Pozzolini family, have lived in the villa since the mid 1800s and often host weddings and gala parties (Via del Viliani, 84, Bivigliano. Visiting hours 10 am- 1 pm and 2:30 – 6 pm).
TENUTA BOSSI-VILLA BOSSI For a visit to a Renaissance villa as well as touring a winery, take a short journey through the famous Tuscan territory of Chianti Rufina, a small area known for its high-quality wine, just 18 kilometers north of Florence. Owned by the noble Gondi family for almost 600 years, the family has been making wine for 25 generations. Originally merchants and bankers in Italy and France and connected to the Medici family by marriage, they still inhabit the Palazzo Gondi located with views on the Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria. For the day of May 25, the public is invited to the villa, park and wine cellars in the hills above Florence. On the occasion guided tours will be conducted every half hour. The tour of the villa, complete with elegant furnishings as well as the park hosting an exhibition of arts and crafts and local culinary products culminates in an opportunity to learn about the process of winemaking in the vaulted cellars under the villa where a variety of wines age in oak barrels (Via dello Stracchino, 32, Pontassieve. Visiting hours 10 am – 1 pm and 2:30 – 5:30 pm. No reservation needed).
To experience and learn more about Tuscany’s historic properties, plan to attend some of the special openings on Sunday May 25. Unless otherwise indicated, most properties require a reservation. On the website, each individual property contains a link to register if necessary: www.associazionedimorestoricheitaliane.it
(rita kungel)
