History

Cosimo I, who combined political ruthlessness with a passion for hunting, developed an extensive system of game reserves across Tuscany. The Padule di Fucecchio — a large wetland depression in the Valdarno — offered excellent waterfowl shooting, and the hills above Cerreto Guidi gave the ideal elevated position for a hunting lodge: high enough to command the reserve, close enough for dawn departures. The villa was built between 1555 and 1564 in the compact, functional manner appropriate for a lodge rather than a ceremonial residence.

The most celebrated — and tragic — event in the villa’s history took place on 13 July 1576. Isabella de’ Medici, daughter of Cosimo I and sister of Francesco I, had been married to Paolo Giordano Orsini, Duke of Bracciano, in 1558. The marriage was unhappy. On suspicion of adultery — the truth of which remains historically contested — Orsini strangled her at Cerreto Guidi. The Medici family covered up the circumstances of her death, announcing that she had died suddenly of natural causes. Isabella was 34 years old. The murder became a cause célèbre in later centuries, inspiring novels, operas and plays. The room where she died is identified in the museum, though the identification is traditional rather than documented.

The external double ramp — the villa’s most photographed element — was added by Bernardo Buontalenti under Ferdinando I, probably in the 1590s. The ramps transformed the villa’s entrance from a functional gateway into a theatrical approach, sweeping visitors up in two arms to the loggia above.