Celebrated. Celebrities. Celebrations.
 Come and get entertained at a star-studded beautiful castle. Enter the portals of a historic place where the who’s who in every walk of life came to entertain and be entertained. Move around the historic 14th century Cafaggiolo Castle decorated with fabulous frescoes and built to perfection with incredible architecture. Imagine the lavish entertainments with celebrities who thronged the Medici home filled with culture and a rich atmosphere surrounded with an artistic ambience.
 If you want to experience the same celebrated invitation, then just drive down to Cafaggiolo which is 25 kilometers from Florence and go right into the center of Mugello. You can also use the Motorway A1 till you reach Barberino Mugello and go in the direction of Borgo San Lorenzo or the Bolognese Road which starts from the Piazza della Liberta in Florence and then at the crossroads of San Piero a Sieve continue towards Barberino del Mugello. It is curious the way Cafaggiolo has been named. Derived from ancient origins, the Longobards used the term ‘cafaggiolo’ to denote a woody area. Later the word ‘cafagium’ was used to indicate beechwood. Then the word ‘cafaggiolus’ was used to describe hunting in summer and was finally modified to Cafaggiolo.
 This is how it all started. Get ready to listen to this fantastic but true story of the history of the House of Medici and the cradle of their bloodline, the Castle-Villa Cafaggiolo. Come with us right into the heart of Tuscany to the depths of its beautiful countryside. Sit on its green grass and as you picnic on the Tuscan traditional fare, listen to the tale of the Medicis. Listen to the sounds of angry protests as Salvestro, the son of Messer Alamanno dei Medici joined with the people in the famous revolt of Ciompi in 1378 which was the biggest uprising in the Florentine Republic.  Only the farmers moved into the city, but the Medici Family became merchants and then bankers. It is interesting to note that how their coat of arms evolved over a period of historic years. In the beginning the coat of arms was indicated with eleven red balls on a golden field or background. The story goes that these red balls represented medicinal pills which were invented at the court of France in the 16th century and the people protested against it in an attempt to bring down the name of Queen Caterina de Medici. Cosimo the Elder changed it to eight balls and his son Piero the Gouty brought it down to seven. Six of the balls were arranged in the shape of a triangle with one in the center painted blue with the lilies of France. This was given by the King of France, Louis XI, for services rendered. Lorenzo the Magnificent made it into six balls with one blue ball at the top. Cosimo I had the formation arranged in an oval shape that was to be the last change.
A GRAND LIFESTYLE
 Now comes the interesting part of the true story. Giovanni di Bicci was the basis of the family fortunes through warehouses and banking interests. He was popular as he aided the republic and encouraged the arts. He was also under contract as rent collector for the City Council and a Gonfaloniere in 1421. Bicci helped the artist, Masaccio and Brunelleschi for the re-construction of the Basilica of San Lorenzo which was in the same area as the Medici House. Bicci married Piccarda Bueri and had two sons Cosimo in 1389 and Lorenzo in 1395. Both the sons were called as ‘Elder’ and it was from them that the two branches of the family developed. Through good times and bad the descendants of Cosimo were slated to be the Lords of Florence till 1537. They were Piero the Gouty who married Lucrezia Tornabuoni. Lorenzo the Magnificent married Clarice Orsini. Piero the Unfortunate married Alfonsina Orsini and Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino married Maddalena de la Tour d’Auvergne from the royal house of Bourbon. Caterina was the last descendant who was born in 1519 and was later the Queen of France. The story takes many twists and turns, both legitimate and illegitimate through a series of plots and intrigues.
 But let us change tracks and head for the Medicean Villa of Cafaggiolo or the Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo. The castle itself was built in the 14th century with its original structure of a fortress for the Republic of Florence. Take a peek at its magnificence through the wild dense forests that surround its beauty. Known to be renovated and re-renovated many times over, the Cafaggiolo Castle remained the favorite residence of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Built as a fortress, it was converted into a farm. Then in the first half of the 15th century, it was changed to a lavish country manor commissioned to the famous architect Michelozzo by Cosimo the Elder.  Beautifully designed, the villa became a favorite with the Medici family. Surrounded by lush gardens landscaped beautifully, the Cafaggiolo Castle displays her re-structured villa as an inheritance endowed to the Medici family. Spread in verdant abundance, a huge game reserve lines the periphery of the villa and was a great favorite of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Inviting men of letters and famous artists, the villa became the center of much-talked about parties and balls, besides holding receptions for popes and princes. As an innovative family, the Medicis structured a Ceramic manufacturing factory close by the castle to make items that were used every day and for rare objets d’art. Known as the Cafaggiolo Majolica, this Italian tin-glazed earthen ware was under the patronage of the Medicis in Tuscany. Unique and rare, the majolica was sculpted into unique artistic designs with a rich look using white limestone variations. One of which is displayed as a plate from the Factory of Cafaggiolo at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
 Come and see the beautiful lunette by Giusto Utens done in 1599 that highlights the ambience. Wander through the huge halls that were used for glittering parties that entertained famous personalities. Walk through the immense residential rooms where the Medicis lingered for long periods in their favorite villa that held many memories. Lorenzo the Magnificent spent much of his childhood at Cafaggiolo. With the passage of time, Lorenzo entertained great people such as, Pico Della Mirandola, Pulci, Poliziano, Marsilio Ficini.  They amused themselves with Pulci reading his Morgante at the dining table, Poliziano composing part of the ‘Stanze’ and Lorenzo himself would take part in the ambience of culture by composing, ‘I Canti Carnacialeschi’. Go back to the year 1515 and take part in the grand celebrations at Cafaggiolo Castle when Pope Leone X visited. Most of his childhood was spent at the villa with his mother, Clarice Orsini and his brothers. Listen to the rustling of skirts and preparations for fabulous weddings echoing through the grand halls as royal princesses were welcomed at the Cafaggiolo villa. Margherita of Austria was received here by Catherine de Medici in 1515 along with twelve gorgeous ladies in waiting. In the year 1665 Joanne of Austria came here before her marriage to the Grand Duke Francis I.
A LINGERING MEMORY
 The Castle of Cafaggiolo built between 1427 and 1436, was a Medicean summer residence and was originally a little fortress with a drawbridge, two towers, enclosing walls and moats. Beautiful with harmonious geometric lines and forms, the Cafaggiolo Castle displays a linear design with dignity and elegance in structure and style. Located at the borderline between San Piero a Sieve and Barberino di Mugello, the castle invites you to go through a narrow road lined with an avenue of beech and oak trees up the hill which overlooks the panorama of Mugello. Built over a pre-existent structure, the Cafaggiolo Castle built by Michelozzo was thought of as a great work of the Renaissance. Though most of its aesthetic work has disappeared with the passage of time, it still has its machicolations and battlements holding sway over the once-powerful villa. After the death of Giangstone in 1737, the fabulous Medici times slowly dwindled down though famous personalities continued to come there. Then the beautiful Cafaggiolo villa was given to the Haupsburg Lorraine family.  In 1864, the Italian Government sold the villa to Prince Borghese who added on modifications which altered the grand old Cafaggiolo Castle. The walls that surrounded the villa were broken down and the moat was filled up. The rooms were renovated to a different style and made to look ancient. The façade of the castle and the gardens were re-structured to the English architecture and landscaping. The castle has now become private property.
Come and share the wonderful opportunity to mingle with celebrities and enjoy a glamorous event-filled time. Cafaggiolo Castle invites you to an exciting and memorable experience that will take you on the wings of time back into a rich and glorious past of the famous Medicis. Explore and enjoy their culture, their country residence and a care-free time in the fabulous gardens and forests.
Give time a break and relax in an ambience of tradition, passion and art…
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