Villa Striano, just outside Pulicciano, stands on the ruins of an ancient Ubaldini lookout tower. At the end of the 17th century Striano was a hamlet constructed around a square central "villa" with a tower. It was the property of Antonio Cocchi, founder of the Florentine Botanical Society. In 1875 Michele Gordigiani, portrait artist of many great queens, bought the villa. The structure was renovated in Art Nouveau style by the architect Del Moro. A double tower was added, and the residence was embellished with squares, terraces and a two-tier arcade, the upper floor of which holds the frescoes of Galileo Chini. The villa is surrounded by a vast English garden with imposing age-old trees among which some rare species can be found. The lemon-house is bathed in light and magnificent. The large square offers a splendid view of Mugello. Gabriele D'Annunzio, Eleonora Duse, Arturo Toscanini, Guglielmo Marconi, Giovanni Papini, the Belgian painter De Groux, the philosopher Balbino, the violinist Joachim, and the cellist Cassadò spent many summers here.
Open for guided tours of the park and the villa - by appointment only: tel.+39 055 8403060 -347 8523383  www.villadistriano.it - info@villadistriano.it

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