Visit Villa Guicciardini Corsi Salviati Virtually Right Now

We know that in 1502 Simone di Jacopo Corsi purchased a plot in Sesto Fiorentino on which there was a pre-existing, “casa da signore,” or noble's home. However, what can be seen today at Villa Guicciardini Corsi Salviati largely reflects extensions and alterations that were made to the earlier property in the 17th century and then subsequent additions and changes that were made throughout the following four centuries. The somewhat austere and intimidating facade that looks out onto the street at Via Gramsci in Florence is a grand seven bay structure with a central block with entrance flocked by two wings and topped by a decorative attic with a balcony but no pediment or an actual room behind it. Above the central doorway, topped by an open segmental pediment scrolling towards the centre and with a figure of a male face between this at the centre of a scallop shape, there is a sculpted family coat of arms that serves as a focal point for the whole facade. The overall effect clearly displays a desire to advertise the power, wealth, calibre, and discerning tastes of the owners. However, it does not hint at the incredible scheme of gardens hidden inside...

The facade that looks out onto the gardens, inside the walls of the villa, meanwhile, are less austere and slightly more simple. Many windows and openings punctuate this facade and take in sweeping views across the incredible gardens that unfold below.

Like the building, the garden has undergone many periods of change throughout the centuries as tastes shifted and different styles came and went. Today, it largely reflects the 20th century interventions of Count Giulio Guicciardini Corsi Salviati who, upon inheriting the property, tried to reinstate the 18th century appearance of the gardens with their geometric forms, the arrangement of the greenery theatre, the small plant labyrinth, and the artificial lake.

The gardens attract the most attention and visitors today and for good reason. Elaborate and beautiful, they are composed of lots of different interesting features that visitors can readily discover while exploring the grounds including the frescoed grotto, countless sculptures dotted throughout, the geometric flowerbeds, the greenery theatre, the labyrinth, the lawns, citrus trees, roses, fountains, the fish pond, laurels, cypresses, oaks, and a lemon house that has been used as an avant-garde theatre and theatre school since the 1980s.

Pictured here is the beautiful grotto, which is covered in frescoes depicting pastoral landscapes and Arcadian scenes featuring old ruins and is home to a fountain with a sculptural figure of Bacchus.

This view, meanwhile, showcases more of the statuary that is dotted throughout the grounds of Villa Guicciardini Corsi Salviati. The statuary, urns, and other stone features that are located all around the garden are one of the few elements that have remained largely unchanged since the 17th century. This image also reveals the flowerbeds with a wide variety of blooms and the potted trees and hedges that are interspersed among them, as well as the benches that can be found at regular intervals. All of which makes for a perfect combination if you wish to spend a couple of hours taking a break from the hustle and bustle of tourism in Florence and just wander about a beautiful and peaceful space for a time.

Pictured here is the fish pond which is one of several water features that make the gardens even more beautiful. Like many features in the garden, it has changed over time but is now a regular, rectangular shape and is fenced in, with the grotto overlooking it. The little lily-pads that float on the water are a particularly charming detail.

This is the lemon house that is now used as a theatre company and school. While it cannot be wandered, the exterior, with its niches filled by sculptures and trellises with climbing plants provides yet another lovely backdrop to the grounds.

The house and gardens at Villa Guicciardini Corsi Salviati are incredibly impressive and lovely and, while lesser-known, still well-worth exploring the next time that you can get yourself to Tuscany and to Florence. Why not come and see it yourself and get a little taste of what Florence was like in centuries past? Just step back into history for a while and lose yourself to the astoundingly luxurious lifestyle and the beautiful setting of the home of a noble family in Florence.